Edge of Desire
by writinghigh
Summary: Did you know that there was a Platform 10 & at Kings Cross Station? Yeah, I didn't either. Not until about a year ago, when I was shipped off to Athchóirithe Academy for the Magically Gifted. Sounds smart, doesn't it? Like some kind of fancy prep school for witches and wizards. Try, reform school.
1. Home Smells Like Angst & Dirty Dishwater

Did you know that there was a Platform 10 & ¾ at Kings Cross Station? Yeah, I didn't either. Not until about a year ago, when I was shipped off to Athchóirithe Academy for the Magically Gifted. Sounds smart, doesn't it? Like some kind of fancy prep school for witches and wizards.

I knew up front that it was anything but; however, you didn't spend the last 11 months of your life there, so let me explain.

_Athchóirithe _is just some misleadingly fancy Celtic word that means reform.

Reform Academy for the Magically Gifted.

Yes, I, Roxanne Weasley, was booted off to a bloody reform school in Ireland. I meán, I guess it isn't really _that _surprising. My dad was a Hogwarts drop out who owns a joke shoppe. I was bound to end up in some type of trouble... You would think he, of all people, would have been a little more understanding.. After all, shenanigans are in my DNA.

Though, what got mé sent off wasn't really a joke... More so a series of very unfortunate and alcohol induced events.

It's all fun and games until you set the Forbidden forest on fire. Then it's arson, and you find yourself doing time in Ireland.

I paid my dues, though, and here I am. Back in good ole England.

Oh who am I kidding? This place is bloody dreadful. Not as dreadful as Ireland, but still. Ugh.

And it was only going to be more dreadful once uncle Percy showed up. I already knew how it was doing to go down. Sour-Perc always had an agenda. He was going to give me some long spiel about how much trouble I could have gotten into and how lucky I am that I only got sent off to a place that feels like Antarctica or some shit. Followed directly by 'If you were my child, blah blah blah, you probably would have offed yourself by now because I am such an annoying git.' And of course he would bring Molly with him, because he knows Lucy would only help me mock him.

Where the Hell was he anyways?

I glanced at my watch; it was well after three. And by well after I mean five minutes past.

Obviously, I am not a very patient person.

I carefully checked my surroundings. I had been warned by both mum and dad via two nasty howlers that I was to get off of the train and not make a single movement until Percy was there to collect me.

You see, unlike normal parents, neither of them could take ten minutes of their precious time to fetch me.

Not that it bothered me. I was actually grateful.

The last time I saw them was when they sent me off. And let me tell you, I have never seen anyone look so frustratingly constipated.

Percy! Ugh. He needs to hurry! I can't just sit - or stand, rather - idly and wait. It induces boredom which usually leads to trouble...

"Roxanne?" Now there's a voice I like to hear!

"Aunt Gin!" I smiled and ran towards her.

She actually looked happy to see me, her arms outstretched for a hug. I gladly gave her one.

"I'm glad that you didn't pluck me off of the family tree." I joked.

She laughed. "Oh come off it. No one plucked you from anything." Aunt Gin insisted as she fingered my hair. "It's gotten so long!"

"Yeah. There weren't many beauty shops at Athchoir." I comment.

Gin frowned but laughed. "Well I quite like it long like this. You shouldn't cut it."

"Thanks. Er, not that I'm complainin'-" I threw my hands up. "- but I thought uncle Sour-Perc was s'pose to pick me up."

Gin's face screwed up as she tried not to laugh. Failing, she roared with laughter before answering me. "He was going to yes, but he's at the burrow dealing with Molly." She explained and I gawked at her.

"S'wrong with Molly?" I asked, not as concerned as I was curious.

"Oh, she's fine. Just boy problems is all." She answered. I continue gawking at her.

"I thought she was engaged to what's his face? Wren?"

Gin shook her head. "They broke up apparently. She's taking it awfully hard."

"Oh." I replied. I felt completely out of touch with everyone.

Mostly because I was. Athchoir only allowed owls from immediate family. The only person in that category that I cared to speak to was Fred, and with him off playing quidditch, he didn't have much time to owl.

"I'm sure she will explain everything once we get there." Gin added as she moved around me to pick up some of my luggage.

"We're going to the burrow?" I asked. I was overly excited about this. "Wait. Are my parents there?" I started to a look a little worried. I knew I was still in trouble over what had happened.

There hadn't even been a discussion about it. They picked me up from Hogwarts in the middle of the night and put me on a train to Ireland before I could even sober up. I'm not even sure I got an 'I love you' out of them before I left.

"No, not yet. But everyone else is. Shall we get going?" She asked as I slid a large duffle bag over my shoulder.

"Everyone is there?" I asked, picking up the last suitcase at my feet. "Why?"

"More or less." Gin Shrugged then smiled. "Because everyone missed you."

Knowing that was complete bullocks made me feel better about the fact that I didn't miss _everyone. _

*****

Oh. My. God. Were they performing some kind of bloody exorcism on Molly? She was sobbing, shouting profanity, and putting on a show so loudly that no one had even noticed that Gin and I had come through the backdoor.

I helped her stack my things against the wall and out of the way before sneaking through the kitchen to have a peak at Molly, who was flailing on the couch.

"I WILL CASTRATE HIM, DADDY! I SWEAR I WILL. JUST LET ME GO!" She cried. She was sitting on uncle Sour-Perc's lap against her will like a 5 year old in time out.

Around her many people were watching. Gramps and Grams were sitting in rocking chairs by the windows looking indifferent, which led me to believe they could hardly hear her. Aunt Audrey, who was also sobbing, was sitting beside Percy trying to console Molly. Lucy was sitting on the floor by the fireplace tapping her wand against her forehead; the look on her face made me laugh. She looked like she was contemplating hexing herself. She hadn't changed a bit since the last time I saw her.

Dominique was sitting in an armchair next to the fire place, somehow managing to read a book through Molly's tantrum.

James, Albus, and Louis were standing a few feet apart; it was strange. The older they got, the less they looked alike. James was still taller than his brother, but Albus had apparently hit a growth spurt while I was gone. However, neither of them were as tall as Louis. He was pretty much a younger version of uncle Bill with blonde hair.

Albus, who had been holding his wand, pointed it at Molly and with an easy flick her cries stopped.

The room fell silent and everyone looked at Molly, who looked terrified. Her mouth opened as she tried to speak but she could only mumble.

I couldn't handle it anymore.

I burst out laughing and suddenly all the attention is on me, still creepin on the scene from the kitchen.

"ROX!" Albus and Lucy said in unison as they both charged towards me.

It was fair to say that they were my favorite cousins. Lucy was just... my vocabulary isn't big or elaborate enough to do her colorful personality justice. We were also close in age. Actually, we were born 3 days apart, so we've been bonding and judging people since we were in diapers. Albus was a year older, and the only other person in the family that was sorted into Slytherin. We were kind of like the family outcasts to an extent.

They both hugged me, and from the looks of it, the rest of the family was coming to join in, while Molly was still sitting on the couch unable to speak, but throwing a fit nonetheless.

James was the next to greet me. "Aya Pyro. D'you enjoy your time in Ireland?" James imitated an Irish accent as he patted the top of my head.

I quickly swatted his hand away "Not really. And watch the weave, white boy." I didn't really have a weave. I just fancied making awkward comments like that. He did too though.

"Never, tan Weasley." See what I mean? I laughed and he walked away to talk to aunt Gin.

Dom and Louis were both very brief. Dom had a book to get back to. She was the most studious Gryffindor I had ever met. While Louis on the other hand seemed to be in a hurry to leave the burrow. He was probably high on something. Lucky bastard.  
Don't get the wrong idea now. I'm not a drug addict. Louis might be though.

"Roxanne, take that spell off of Molly." Uncle Percy said as he appeared in front of me.

"'Scuse me?" I lifted an eyebrow.

"I know you did it. She was fine until you showed up. So undo it." He replied.

You call that fit she was throwing _fine? _

"All right." I pretended to look around and pat my pockets. "Oh, that's right. I don't have my wand. 'Cause, you know, the ministry kind of took it from me."

He looked embarrassed but didn't apologize or say anything further. Instead he narrowed his eyes at Lucy.

"Lu.."

"D'you see the ministry surrounding the place yet, dad? C'mon, I'm underage. If I was going to do underage magic I would kill Molly, not just shut her up." She laughed. Percy didn't look amused.

"That's not funny, Lucy." He snapped.

Uh oh, Sour-Perc is getting mad.

"Ay, calm down. It was me uncle Percy." Albus admitted coolly as he leaned against the sink. "Sorry, I couldn't take it anymore. She's been at it for over an hour and there's only so much of _that, _that a bloke can take." As Albus spoke he pointed his wand at Molly, and once he was finished, he muttered the counter curse.

"ALBUS SEVERUS POTTER I AM GOING TO KILL YOU THEN USE YOUR BODY TO CLEAN UP THE MESS FROM KILLING WREN!" Molly screamed and lunged toward the kitchen.

"That's my cue. I'll be back once her hormones have had time to settle." Albus announced and disapparated.

Molly had been in such a fit to attack him that she ended up falling against the sink, her face submerged in dirty dishwater.

Lucy laughed. I'm talking about one of those loud, obnoxious, uncontrollable, laughs. The kind that makes you cry and brings you to your knees. Literally, that's what was happening. Soon enough she was on the ground laying on her side, holding her stomach, laughing silently. She couldn't breathe from laughing.

I was slumped against the wall with my hands covering my face because that definitely made it less obvious that I was laughing.

Meanwhile, Molly was going apeshit. It took both Uncle Percy and James to restrain her again so she couldn't go after Lucy. Audrey was trying to talk her down but she wouldn't listen.

Apparently sometime during all of this Fleur and uncle Bill had arrived.

"What's going on?" Bill asked me.

I held my hand up, I was still laughing hysterically, replaying her fall over and over again. "I can't!" I squealed breathlessly.

"Girls, could you please go outside?" When Aunt Gin's back was towards Molly she chuckled but composed herself quickly. "I'll explain." She added to uncle Bill.

I helped Lucy off of the floor and we both staggered our way outside, still heaving with laughter. It took at least fifteen minutes before we were calm enough to actually speak.

"Did that really just happen?" Lucy asked breathlessly.

"Merlin, I hope so." I snorted. "What even happened?! Between Wren and Molly?"

Yeah, I am a horrible gossip. Cope with it.

Lucy shrugged. "I reckon she stopped slipping him Amortentia."

I laughed again. I hadn't realized how much I had missed her. "How have you been?" I nudged her. "How was school? Did you get into trouble over what happened? Ugh, I hope uncle Percy wasn't a troll over it. It's not like you did anything." I bombarded her as we walked down the front yard.

"Oh honey, calm down." Lucy laughed. "I've been fine. School was horrible, and I was only grounded for a few weeks." She explained.

"That was such a cheap answer, Lucy! C'mon, fill me in, what's been going on? What have I missed?" I pressed.

"I think you should be the one filling me in." She narrowed her eyes. "What happened that night? I want details, like why Scamander got expelled. Then, after you explain that, you can tell me all about Ireland.

"Lorcan got expelled?" I asked, surprised.

Lucy nodded. "Yeah.. wasn't he at Athchoir with you?" She asked. I shook my head. "Hmm. Well, he wasn't at school all year either... Last time I saw him, he was with you. What the Hell did you two do? Have sex that was so nasty and hot that floor of the forest just _fuckin' _caught on fire?"

I went into an instant fit of laughter while shaking my head. "No, no. Nothing like that."

"Then what happened?! Was it just average and that's why you started burning shit? Y'know tryin' to hint for him to heat things up?"

"NO!" I laugh again. "I did not have sexual relations with Lorcan Scamander, alright?"

I know I could trust her, and I had already intended on telling her. "I was helping him. Not sexually. We were burning his drugs." I explained.

Lucy's eyes were as big as quaffles. "So it's true then! I can't believe that little nerd sold drugs!" She exclaimed. I laughed then furrowed my brow.

"Wait, there were rumors that he sold drugs?" I asked. This was news.

"People said that's why he got expelled. I didn't believe it. He always seemed like a good kid." Lucy still looked shocked.

I didn't say anything.

"S'why were you helping him burn his drugs? Wait, why was he even burning them in the first place?" She pressed on.

I shrugged. I didn't know the whole story. "Someone found the plants he was growing in the forest and professor Longbottom said he was going to have a look at them the next morning. So we destroyed them."

"Yeah, and you took like half of the forest out of the game in doing so." Lucy chuckled. "Poor Hagrid. I always thought the sight of a weeping half giant would make me laugh, but it's actually depressing."

"S'a good thing I'm heartless, yeah? Or else I'd feel really bad right about now." I groaned sarcastically. Lucy frowned.

"Sorry. So, what about Ireland?" She asked, perking up.

"What about it?" I countered.

"Oh, I dunno? What was it like? What were the boys like? Did you shag or snog any of them?" Lucy smirked.

"It was freezing all the time. The boys were boys. But worse 'cause they were all delinquents. No shagging but I might have snogged a bloke or two. S'a little blurry, you know. Alcohol."

"You were able to get alcohol but you couldn't owl anyone outside of your mum, dad and Fred? How is that possible?" She asked.

"Lucy.. it's Ireland. I think they even spiked the water fountains with liquor."

I had more or less stayed intoxicated while I was there. I think the faculty slipped up tonic to help keep up warm. Dragon balls, it was so cold there.

Anyways, I could definitely hold my alcohol now. Which was a good thing. I think...

"Right." She laughed. "What are their names? The boys you snogged?"

"Uhh," I pretended to think, although I could easily recite his full name and birthday. There was only one bloke, by the way. I said two so it would make the one that I did snog seem less important.

"Liam for sure. Not so sure about the other. Can't remember his name anyways." I shrugged. "Like I said, lots of alcohol." I really wasn't exaggerating that part.

"Liam?" She happy sighed. "He was Irish wasn't he? UHG. Those charming bastards! What was he like?"

"Stupid." I replied.

"Who is giving the cheap answers now?! Come on, Roxanne." She put her hand on her hip.

Shit just got serious.

"Fine." I crossed my arms. "He was really funny, and kinda smart too. Cheeky..." I flashed my eyes toward the gray sky in thought. There was loads more I could say but the last thing I wanted to do was to start swooning over him.

Liam Kavanagh.

"Incredibly good looking?" Lucy filled in. "Was he a ginger?"

I looked like I was considering it before I shook my head "No. He had the more... Celtic, look? Y'know dark hair. Lots of it. A big curly mess. Lanky.." I failed to mention his gorgeous green eyes.

I could write a book about them. Which is incredibly creepy and why I'm keeping that comment to myself.

I was more or less trying to dull him down; but I couldn't help but picture him in the process. To complement his eyes, Liam had this incredible smile. His teeth were ridiculously perfect and so white that they seemed to glow.

"Sounds hot. What was he in there for?"

There went my almost lady-boner.

"Nothing." Before I could say anything else Lucy gave me a dirty look.

"Did he murder someone?!" She asked.

"Can I finish? No, he didn't kill anyone. He's been in there since his first year. He's a muggle born who was in a muggle reform school. He's just been going there.. I guess they don't want to breed another Voldemort." I shrugged.

"That's sad. He's pretty much been in prison this whole time."

I nodded and frowned.

"You like him, don't you?" She pushed.

I blushed. "No." I answered, trying not to smile.

It's not that I didn't want Lucy to know about him or the way I may or may not have felt. I actually wanted nothing more than to tell her all about him. But what good would it do? He was in Ireland, at AthChoir, and in less than two weeks, I would be back at Hogwarts. There was no way anything would become of us. Of course, if Lucy knew she would insist otherwise and help me scheme up some way to sneak into his school so I could confess my undying love for him.

If I actually had such a thing for him. Trust, I am not claiming that at all.

Lucy eventually dropped the conversation about Liam and asked me questions about Athchoir itself. It was a big relief to rant about this kind of stuff. Like the fact that none of us were allowed to have a wand outside of class. The wands we used in class were spelled so that we could only cast what was required. We had classes all year round, sometimes 6 days a week. The food was horrible, the teachers were horrible. Everything about that place was wretched.

Well, maybe not everything. I did end up making quite a few friends. Plus there was Liam...

In turn, and as promised, Lucy filled me in on the latest family affairs. Vic and Teddy had got engaged this past Valentine's day. Rose and Scorpius were finally official, which is why she couldn't make it today. Albus was still womanizing, while James, on the otherhand had apparently had his first real relationship with some girl called Ariana while I was away. Lucy was more or less obsessed with Elias McLaggen. Honestly, from the sound of him, I was obsessed too.

*********  
Lucy And I stayed outside chatting for close to two hours before heading back inside.

Molly had fallen asleep upstairs so it was safe for entrance. The first thing I did was go say hi to Gran and Gramps.

Grandma was so feisty, it was unreal. Mum always said that I got my attitude from her and aunt Gin. And gramps was just curious about everything. He was eager to ask me about my stay, not even passing judgment about it.

I told him as many stories as I could without incriminating myself.

Which wasn't very many.

I wished that I had more, because I just saw my father.

"Roxanne." I jumped and gasped.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." Uncle Bill chuckled.

Oh thank Merlin! A distraction. "It's all right. I'm just a bit jumpy. That's all." I explained.

"Oh. Well I just wanted to say that I'm glad you're finally back. I didn't get a chance to earlier. Molly threw quite the fit.."

I laughed, recalling what had made her so angry. "Yeah. She's always been good at that." I pointed out. Molly had always been very dramatic.

Bill stifled a smile and cleared his throat. I could tell that he really wanted to laugh in agreement. "I don't know if _I _would say that.." He mused.

"Well, I would." I smiled and raised my brow.

I had been keeping tabs on my dad since I noticed his arrival. He had been talking to aunt Gin; I assume he was interrogating her to make sure I had been having myself.

We made eye contact. Shit!

He excused himself from aunt Gin and made his way towards Uncle Bill and I myself.

"So Lucy told me Vi and Teddy are finally engaged!" I was desperately trying to make conversation.

"Oh, yes." He smiled. Ugh. Uncle Bill, why can't you be as talkative as uncle Ron and Gramps? "George, I didn't even know you were here."

"Just got here. Work ran over at the shoppe. Ron's 'round here somewhere too."

He was ignoring my presence. That didn't make things more awkward.

"I bet business is booming with school getting ready to start back up." Uncle Bill commented.

Men have the most boring conversations. This was obviously by cue to walk away. So I did.

Or tried to, at least.

"S'not hurting it that's for sure." Dad laughed while simultaneously snatching me by my elbow. He looked down at me just as I was looking up at him. "Not so fast. C'mere and give your old dad a hug." He yanked me towards him.

What?

"What?" I blurted out. "I mean.. er." I hugged him stiffly while he gave me a squeeze so tight that my back popped.

"I missed you, kiddo." Dad patted my back. I was slack jawed. What the hell?

"I missed you too dad. Er. I can't really breathe right now.."

"Sorry." He let me go. "Go ahead and say bye to everyone. Your mum is waiting for us."

"Already? Dad, you just got here. Albus hasn't even come back yet." I was probably pushing my luck. Oh well.

"Why did he leave?" He asked, his face screwed up from confusion.

And for the Merlin-only-knows-how- many-ith time, I replayed Molly's crash with the sink. "Molly tried to kill him for langlocking her." I cackled, still completely amused by it. "She went after him, but he disapparated.. she ended up going face first into dirty dishwater." I explained.

Dad starting having a fit. Clearly I got my sense of humor from him.

"Well, since she didn't succeed, you can see him tomorrow, yeah? We need to get going. So go say bye. I'm gonna go have a word with Percy."

Ugh.

He was probably going to ask him for advice on what to do with me from here. How to punish me and slowly suck the life out of me. 'Cause he did such a lovely job as a father.

Shit. Lucy was one of his kids. There are so bloody many of us that sometimes it was hard to remember who came out of whose vagina... and Lucy is just way too cool to be _Sour-Perc's _child.

Also, I think all of that alcohol consumption back in Ireland might have messed with my memory.

Really though, Molly is such a brat.

At least I won't have to be here when she wakes up...


	2. Did You Catch Nargles?

I clutched the box of Merlin Marshmallow Melt ice cream against my chest and shoveled another spoonful into my mouth. Half of the box was gone; apparently it had lost its magical feel-better charm and I could now add 'bloated' to the list of adjectives that currently described how miserable I was.

Everything is shit! Stinky, sour, sunbaked, shit!

I huffed in disgust and tossed the carton of ice cream onto the coffee table. It landed somewhere between a bag of chocolate doughnuts and what was left of the cake that mum made for dessert a few nights ago.

Clearly I have marvelous coping skills... But you would be miserable and reduced to sugar and carbs too. They, my parents, took everything from me. Starting with quidditch, which, they swear wasn't their choice, rather Hogwarts'. Whatever. It's gone, and apparently I'll be 'lucky' if they even let me go to any of the games. My Hogsmeade weekend privileges were also revoked. That was my parents' doings. Not like it bloody mattered. I had 200 hours worth of detention to serve once I got back. To top it all off, the ministry still hadn't decided if they were going to allow me rights to my own wand. Really? What good is school if I don't have a wand? And What good is Hogwarts if I'm stuck with all of these stupid restrictions? They might as well send me back to Athchoir!

Okay, that's taking it a bit too far.

I grimaced at the thought and rolled onto my side. Shockingly, I was left at home alone today.

Dad had taken a few days off at the shop so he could "spend time with me." Which is obviously code for "I don't trust you." Mum did the same. And now, a week to the day later, I am finally home alone.

Less shockingly, I was bored out of my mind.  
The telly was on, but muted, the muggle prime minister's face stretched across it.

My mum had blocked all the good channels as a part of my punishment.

Little did she know, I thought Andrew Carrington was dreamy and could stare at his face for ages.

HA! In your face, mum.

Listening to him speak was a different story. I would rather listen to Molly throw a fit, because that would be interesting. Or at the very least, amusing.  
This was my life now. Laying on the couch in sweat pants staring at the muted telly with a shrine of junk food in arms reach.

I was so depressing. That's probably why mum and dad both left me they couldn't stand the sight of me. I was so depressing that I was depressing other people just by being around them.

I need cookies.

Just as I was sitting up on the couch I heard a loud _POP_. "Ahh!" I squawked  
and leapt back, but calmed instantly.

It was only Albus.

He made a face at me then grimaced at the pile of food on the table between us.

"Uncle George wasn't exaggeratin' was he? Fuck, you are more depressin' than Molly on a bad day."

"Was he raving about how he and mum have sucked the life out of me?" I asked. "And those are fightin' words, Potter." I said seriously. Yeah his comment was funny but it was easy to hide that I thought so.

"Not raving really. He looked pretty depressed himself about it." Albus shrugged.

I knew it! Oh well, they deserved it.

"Which is why he sent me to get you. You are officially off of house arrest." He said proudly, flashing a smirk.

I tossed a couch pillow at his face. "S'not funny, Albus." I groaned.

"S'not supposed to be." He mocked, tossing the pillow back at me. "Because I'm not jokin'. And you should be thankin' me, not throwing cushions at me. I'm the one who convinced your da' to let you out of the house. Er, flat."

I was confused to say the least.

"So go change. Unless ya wanna go to Diagon Alley dressed like that."

I cackled. "Please. Now I know you are lying. Dad isn't going to go from having me locked up to completely cutting me loose."

Albus rolled his eyes. "You really think I didn't think this through? We have to go school shopping." He winked.

Of course he thought it through. He was the most conniving person in the world. I grinned wickedly and got up off of the couch for the first time in hours and promptly hugged him. "Care to clean up my mess while I change so we can get out of here?" I asked. He made an annoyed face. "Oh, come on. Don't be so lazy!"

*********  
I demanded that Albus apparate us to dad's shop for two reasons. One, I wanted to make sure this was real life. Two, if it was, I was going to need some galleons.

Dad reassured that it was and gave me a bag of money and a curfew.

"D'you think it'd be a bad idea to buy anything from here?" Albus asked me as he scanned a shelf.

If I were taller, I would have done what aunt Gin does when he and James say something blatantly stupid. Smack the back of his head. "Not so much bad as it is stupid." I commented instead.

"Ireland really did a number on you, yeah?" Albus rolled his eyes. "You used to be fun."

I furrowed my brow. "Piss off." I'm still fun. Aren't I? I crossed my arms over my chest. Of course I'm fun. I'm... _me. _I was just a more... behaved, version of me. That didn't mean I wasn't fun.  
"I'm just tryin' not to get sent back to hell." I defended.

Albus looked like he was wavering my response. "I guess you got a point... But we both know you won't be able to keep the act up."

I opened my mouth to retaliate -

"There you two dragon droppings are!" Lucy squawked as Albus and I exited the shop. She was accompanied by Lily and Hugo and a creature that I assumed was Rose and Scorpius snogging. "What took you so long?" She asked.

"Oh, you know. Just telling Rox that she'll be back at Athchoir by the time winter rolls around." Albus smirked. I made a sour face at him.

Lily, who I hadn't gotten the chance to see since coming home, came forward to give me a hug. Lily was interesting, to say the least. She didn't have a whole lot to say most of the time and Lucy and I came to the conclusion that she was always silently judging everyone. She was kind of.. mysterious; but when she did finally decide to speak up, whatever she had to say was worth listening to. Hugo waved at me but didn't say anything to me; I'm pretty sure that he was afraid of me and Albus. Meanwhile, Rose and Scorpius continued snogging.

Lucy laughed at Albus and then looked at me. "Oh, hush, Albus. Our Roxy isn't going to make it to fall." She winked.

"Har har." I scrunched my nose up. "I've got a plot twist for you. I kill all of you and never go back to school at all."

Hugo suddenly looked terrified, while Lucy, Albus, and Lily got a little laugh out of it.

"Y'know, we should be the ones killing you." Lily commented. Everyone (except Rose and Scorp), looked at her. It was never a good sign when the quiet one in the family started talking like that. "You did get most of the family grounded."

Albus laughed and slapped Lily on the shoulder. "Best idea you've ever had."

"Yeah, because I held my wand to your heads and said "get drunk in the forbidden forest or I'll kill you."

"No, you just decided to plan a party down there and then set the place on fire." Albus pressed smugly. "Why did you do it anyways?" He asked. "I never got an answer out of you."

Lucy cleared her throat and pretended to be interested Lily's hair.

"Shit happens." I shrugged. "Hey, can we get going? I've got a 5 o'clock curfew."

*********  
Rose and Scorpius might have died from oxygen deprivation. I'm not sure. All I know is that they didn't join the lot of us when we ventured out to do our shopping. Hugo, Lily, Lucy and I are all upandcoming sixth years so we needed most of the same things. Well, Hugo was more or less a freak of nature and needed all N.E.W.T level books. While Lily, Lucy, and myself only needed a few. Albus came with us and taunted us about how we still had two years left of school and boasted about how he only had one.

As much as I love him, I was thankful when he departed to go to Quality Quidditch Supplies to get new equipment for the upcoming season. Lily joined him; believe it or not, she's actually a beater for Gryffindor. And with Albus and James as her brothers, and aunt Ginny as her mum, she was a damn good one at that.

Hugo went with them.. I'm not sure why; he didn't play quidditch... He cared more about his studies than anything else. He definitely only inherited uncle Ron's looks.

I didn't go for obvious reasons. It was just too soon. I imagine going into a quidditch store at this point would be like running into an ex boyfriend and his new girlfriend while they're in the middle of some kind of heated snog. I'm still heartbroken and butthurt. There was no need to rub salt in my wounds.

I was left alone with Lucy and I was quite all right with this. We floo'd to Honeydukes in Hogsmeade for sweets and Lu made a comment that got me thinkin'. Dad had never told me I _couldn't _go to Hogsmeade, but I'm sure he would have said no had I asked. Still yet, we snuck off. Yeah, I know it's a tiny offense, and it's not like I feel guilty for it. I mean, why should I? I am a bloody person too. And a I have needs. Needs that come in the shape of a frog and taste like chocolate. I hadn't had the luxury that is a chocolate frog in almost a year...

Anyways, enough ranting. The point that I'm getting at is that, maybe Lucy and Albus were right. Maybe I wouldn't be able to stay out of trouble.

"OH GOD!" Lucy squealed and more or less clung to my side. "IT'S HIM. OH MY GOD, ROXANNE! IT'S HIM! IT'S ELIAS! I CAN'T!"

We were back in Diagon Alley now and the streets were much more crowded than they were before we left. I narrowed my eyes in the direction she was pointing. About three seconds after staring in his direction I spotted him. He was more gorgeous than her description; something told me that we were both putting up the same act.

"Lu.." My brow furrowed. "Does he even go to Hogwarts?" I asked, still gawking at the guy, or _man, _rather, called Elias.

"Goes there ... went there ... teaches there.. What's the difference, really?" Lucy chuckled.

My eyes doubled in size but somehow, I wasn't even surprised by this. "Damn, when did we get such an upgrade in faculty?" I asked.

"He started interning for the Charms position after you left. Isn't that perfect? Mr. Charming." Lucy sighed happily, in awe.

"Oh shit, he caught us." I smiled, still looking at him. Lucy tilted her head to the side and shot him a grin as she waved. "Wait, is he coming over here right now?"

"Of course. I'm one of his favorite students." She replied.

"You're shit at charms.. just like I am." I said quickly, confused.

"Which is exactly why I need so many tutor sessions with him... Mr. McLaggen, hello." Lucy chirped as he came to face us.

Let me just say, their eye contact was some intense shit. I felt like I was witnessing a heated shag.. I had to look away; it was making me blush. I could only imagine what it was doing to Lucy.

"Ms. Weasley." Elias purred. "How has your holiday been?"

"Oh, you know... hot." She raised her brow at him. It took all I had to keep from laughing. "This-" Lucy grabbed my elbow and I forced the smile from my lips. "- is my cousin Roxanne." She introduced.

"Ah! The famous Roxanne Weasley. I have heard so much about you." Mr. McLaggen smiled.

There went my underwear. "How funny, I have also heard _so _much about you."

He turned his attention away from me and I had never been so grateful. No bloody wonder Lucy was in love with him.

"I trust you've been reading those books I gave you, Ms. Weasley."

Again, I had to look away. The amount of tension between them was smothering.

"Oh shit!" I gasped. On the other side of the street I saw one of the Scamander twins. And if there was anything to know about them, if you saw one, the other wasn't far behind.

"Sorry, er, Lu.. I'll be back in a few. I just saw someone that I need to have a chat with."

My friends and cousins weren't Lorcan's biggest fans. They never took the time to get to know him... Honestly, I probably wouldn't have either had I not ended up in detention with him back in my fourth year. Most of the school saw him as an awkward, airhead, introvert who more or less lived in the Herbology classroom.

He was a lot more than that, though. He was ridiculously bright and always had the wittiest jokes. Not to mention the assortment of 'special' plants he grew.

I ran across the busy street and followed the blonde into Obscurus Books. Now that I was up close, I could see that the boy was carrying a potted plant. It had to be Lorcan. He was obsessed with plants.

"Lorcan!?" I shouted louder than needed. Several people stopped to stare at me.

He glanced over his shoulder, a sour look on his face.

"Roxanne.. Hey." A very big smile smoothed over his features as he turned around. "I'm glad to see that you're back."

"Yeah, me too. You, I mean. I heard that you got expelled.." So maybe the middle of a bookstore wasn't exactly the right place to have a conversation about drugs; but this couldn't wait.

"Yeah.." He nodded and frowned. "I heard you got sent off. I'm guessing it's true?" He asked. I furrowed my brow.

"Of course it is.. You must have been pissed that night. You were in the Headmaster's office with me when my parents came to fetch me.."

Lorcan looked as if he had no idea about that. "Oh. Yeah, I was gone." He cleared his throat.

I honestly couldn't judge him for not remembering; hell, there were still pieces of that night that I would probably never remember. Like how we even got to the headmaster's office. I remember the before and after vaguely, but the 'during' eludes me.

I stepped in a little closer and looked around us before speaking. "So what happened? Why did you get expelled? They knew I was the one who started the fire, and all of your, er, plants, were destroyed."

He looked at the floor then back at face. "I just couldn't stand to be there." He finally said.

What? This kid loved school. I made a face but didn't say anything in hopes that he would elaborate.

"Without you there..."

Oh, screw my hopes! WHY? WHY?

"What.. are you.." I blinked, my face horribly screwed up. Maybe he just meant that he felt bad that I ended up taking an arson charge to help him...

"You don't remember do you? I didn't think you would." He frowned and legitimately looked sad.

"I..." I was drawing one huge fucking blank. What was he getting at?

"We snogged. Er, you snogged me.. I snogged back." He bit his bottom lip. My eyes were as huge as quaffles. I didn't know what to say, what to think, how to breathe.

I was going to die from an emotional overload. I never saw Lorcan in that light. He was an awkward friend who I often got teased for hanging out with. Not that I cared about the teasing; everyone could kiss my arse. I just... Lorcan? Really? Luna's son? I slowly shook my head without meaning to.

He and I just didn't make sense.  
Oh what am I getting at? It was just a snog.. He isn't in love with me or anything..

"I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since... You're beautiful, you know that?"

Seriously? SERIOUSLY?

"I..." Still couldn't speak.

"I know you probably don't feel the same way. You're popular, and great at quidditch, I know I don't have a shot.. but I wanted you to know." He continued.

"Lysander!" Lorcan and I both looked in the direction that the voice had come from. My brows furrowed. It was Lysander. Why was he shouting his own name?

"Oh, hey Roxanne!" Lysander said excitedly. "How have you been? I had no idea you were back in England."

"Hello, Lysander." I have no idea why he was being so bloody chummy. Despite my friendship with Lorcan, Ly and I were never friends. "I've been grounded." I guess I should be thankful for his arrival; it definitely helped keep the awkward tension between Lorcan and I to a minimum.

"Lysander?" Lysander asked. "Rox, I'm Lorcan."

I looked between the two of them, more horrified than I thought I would ever be in front of a bloody Scamander.

"But.. I thought..." I pointed at Lorcan, who was apparently really Lysander.

Lysander smirked and shook his head. "You thought wrong, Weasley." Lysander chirped. "Oi, Lorcan, I did you a favor. Don't get mad." He commented on Lorcan's outraged expression.

"What did you say to her? Roxy, what did Lysander tell you?" Lorcan asked. He looked just as terrified as me.

"I'll leave you two, to it." Lysander cleared his throat and started to walk away.

Oh. My. God. That was it. I was going to murk Lysander Scamander.

I finally found it in me to look at Lorcan again. "Did.. did I snog you?" I asked. I sounded much more outraged than I had intended. Almost as if the idea of kissing him disgusted me.

"He told you?" Lorcan's jaw dropped and his face turned red.

Oh God.

"So it's true? All of it?" I asked.

"I.. I don't know what all he told you." He stuttered.

"Oh God. It's all true." I mumbled. Oh God what if more happened and Lysander just left it out?

"Roxy, let me explain.." Lorcan said. I held my hand up and shook my head.

"I.. I gotta go. I can't do this." Turning my back on him I ran out of the bookshop and frantically looked around for Lucy. I found her; she was still chatting Professor Charming up.

"We have to go!" I spat, grabbing her by the elbow and pulling her away from Mr. McLaggen. She didn't even have a chance to say goodbye to him.

"Rox! What is going on with you?!" She asked. "Did you get your period?!"

"No, worse. I snogged a Scamander!"

Lucy snorted then went into a fit of laughter.

I was dragging her up the road when we were met with my father; Apparently he had decided to close the shop early today. Probably so he could keep tabs on me from afar. At this point I didn't care. I just wanted to go home.

"Are you ready to leave?" I asked him immediately.

"S'wrong?" He asked, concerned. "I thought a day out would help you.. You still have a little while before curfew." Dad mumbled.

"Nothing can help me right now dad. Can we just go?" I pressed. He furrowed his brow.  
"What happened?!" He asked again.

I said nothing while Lucy on the other hand was still laughing.

"She kissed a Scamander." Lucy informed him through gasps and giggles.

"Lucy!" I gasped. The last thing my father needed to hear about was who I had been snogging. Merlin only knows what he'll do to me for that one. I was guessing he'd sew my mouth shut.

"Oh come on Rox, even my dad wouldn't care to hear that I snogged a Scamander."

"A Scamander? As in one of Loony Lovegood's son?" Dad asked after a few seconds of thought.

I nodded and looked at my feet.

"Did you catch Nargles?" He asked with a laugh.


	3. And She's Back!

**A/N: Okay so forewarning about this chapter. It's not as comical as the first two, and I feel like it's kind of a filler chapter. But necessary nonetheless. I also wanted to tell a little more about the Weasley/Potter kids. Which I did. Anyways, things will pick up!**

* * *

I continued freaking out over the Lorcan thing for the better part of the next two days before coming to the realization that I was being completely irrational. So what? We snogged. Yeah, it's extremely awkward to think about, but stranger things have happened. Like that time Lucy's beautifying charm backfired and I ended up with no eye brows.

Unfortunately, the _act _of kissing Lorcan hadn't been the major issue. More so the pile of dragon dung Lysander had unloaded on me. It was dreadful. Lorcan obviously told Lysander about what had happened for a reason. But did that mean he said all of that other stuff too? Was Lysander _really _trying to help his brother, or was he just trying to be an arse?

I chose to assume the latter for two reasons. First, Lysander _was _an arse. Second, it made me feel less nauseous about the entire ordeal.

However, none of this stopped my family from teasing me.

Dad found my snogging Lorcan so comical that he told uncle Ron about it. He too thought it was hilarious and shared the news with Albus, who hasn't given me a break about it since finding out. It was annoying, yet slightly impressive how he could find some way to force it into every conversation that _anyone _was having.

It didn't take long for everyone in the family Weasley - Potter family to know and have a laugh about it. Hugo and uncle Harry were the only two what hadn't openly teased me about it. Yeah, even Grams and Gramps had caught wind of it and thought it was so laughable that it reduced them to teasing their granddaughter.

The entire family - minus Fred, who was still in America playing quidditch for the California Kings, and Louis who was only Merlin knows where - was gathered at the Burrow for the annual 'Day before first day of school feast.'  
Mum, aunt Gin, and aunt 'Mione were in the kitchen helping grams cook while Aunt Audrey, who had been banned from the kitchen after setting fire to it four Christmases ago, sat in the dining room talking to aunt Fleur, who never lifts a finger during these little family gatherings.

Dad and uncle Ron were also sitting in the dining room on the opposite end of the over sized table, discussing new projects for Weasley Wizard Wheezes'.  
Meanwhile uncle Sour-Perc and uncle Bill were sitting in the living room with Gramps, who was reading the days' edition of the prophet, as they listened to the news on the radio.

And last but not least was uncle Harry, heading outside to referee a quidditch match.

Quidditch was a pretty big deal on both sides of Potter-Weasley clan. Mum and Ginny both played for the Holyhead Harpies; and now that mum is retired she coaches for them. Fred went pro and James is well on his way in doing the same. Most of my cousins and uncles played at Hogwarts.. It was the one thing the lot of us had in common. Besides DNA.

Usually, _this _was my favorite part of the family getting together; Potter-Weasley quidditch. However, my broom had been revoked as another lovely part of my punishment, leaving me to watch this fiasco-to-be from the sideline.

Since I couldn't play, there was an uneven number, so someone had to sit out. Of course, Lucy was the first to offer herself up; she was so bloody clumsy that she shouldn't have been playing in the first place. But Molly wasn't hearing it. Lucy was as small as I was in height and weight and apparently Molly thought that would make her an excellent seeker. "I am a scorned woman with a bat, Lucy. You ought to think about that." Molly had growled. If there was anything to know about Molly, it was that she was mental.

I figure her insanity comes from having Sour-Perc as a father and all of those years of trying to be perfect at everything. The perfect daughter (Lucy made this task ridiculously easy for Molly), the perfect student, the perfect prefect, perfect at quidditch, perfect-looking... I don't think I've ever seen her have _fun._.. I'm not sure that she's even capable of it. She's always so bloody wound up.

What if that happens to me from all of these stupid restrictions? What if I turn into a wretched hag?

_That's impossible. _I remind myself. I would burn down the forbidden forest _purposely_before that would ever happen.

Dominique ended up offering to sit out so she and I could _play catch up_. In other words, she was just as much as a gossip as I was. Luckily, she wasn't the type to spread scandal from person to person; she just liked hearing about it. Of course she asked about _the Lorcan thing, _and then proceeded to ask me about Athchoir. She was appalled by the fact that our uniforms were orange jumpsuits and told me that I was lucky I didn't inherit the ginger hair and pale skin; but she wasn't bothered at all by the fact that we sometimes had lessons 6 days a week. She had always been a freak when it came to learning. Which is why you would assume she would be off studying to be something brilliant, like a healer or an Alchemist.

Not about bloody dragons. According to Dom, uncle Charlie got her a slot to study at the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary starting this fall.

From looking at Dom, you wouldn't necessarily picture her as the dragon chasing type. Or the type to _chase _anything, really. She was just as flawless and delicate as aunt Fleur. However, she also had a wild spark that she most definitely got from the Weasleys... So I guess her decision to chase dragons isn't really _that _surprising.

Though, I couldn't help but wonder how her mum and dad were taking this news; aunt Fleur always said that her Children were too beautiful for hard labor. It must have been a shame for her that the only one of her children who seemed to believe this to be as true as herself was Louis; he was a male model.

The quidditch match was more or less a comical disaster. Lucy played seeker for Molly's team, which included Rose as keeper and Scorpius and Teddy as chasers. Lucy didn't do much seeking though. Apparently she had gotten someone - most likely Albus - to charm the bristles on her broom to release a trail of smoke and spent the entire match doing figure-eights and spelling out bad things about Molly. While Molly on the other hand spent most of the match trying to knock bludgers at Lucy for what she was doing. Scorpius and Teddy were both excellent chasers, but it seemed like Malfoy's game was off. He flailed about, almost fell from his broom, and ended up shooting a quaffle into his team's goal post. My guess was that he was a little uncomfortable about playing a game of quidditch with one of his professors (Teddy started teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts in my fourth year). Rose stayed pretty distracted during the entire game. It was physically impossible for her _not _to oogle Scorpius every thirty seconds.

Albus, who's position was usually chaser, was playing seeker, and had caught the snitch four times throughout the game. The first time being less than five minutes in. Molly was such a sore loser that she insisted that the match continue.  
Lily, who had taken her rightful place as beater, ended up helping James keep the quaffle, since Hugo was bloody awful at it. Other than Lucy, Hugo was the only cousin who didn't play at school. Vi was their team's keeper and she didn't take it easy on Teddy and Scorpius.

Of course the game ended badly, with one of Molly's wild quaffles hitting Scorpius in the gut, causing him to fall from his broom. Luckily uncle Harry was there to save him, and then in turn, save Molly from being killed by Rose. Such a hero he was.

Talk about the match continued well into dinner, though at this point, no one was really paying attention to it.

"I still say it was an unfair game." Molly repeated herself as she took a sip of wine. No one even looked at her. "All the Potters were on the same team." This caught attention, as she knew it would. Teddy, Scorpius, Vi, Lucy, James, Albus, Lily, myself, and even Rose, looked up at her. She suddenly looked accomplished. "Oh come on. We all know they had an advantage." She talked as if it were some kind of amusing scandal and not just a simple family quidditch game. Even uncle Harry was looking at her now.

"You must mean Hugo." Albus smiled sarcastically as he slapped his hand on Hugo's shoulder. Hugo tensed up. Sitting next to Albus - who always made sure to sit next to Hugo just to make him uncomfortable - was bad enough; there was no telling how he was taking Albus' hand being so close to his neck. "He was obviously our secret weapon." Albus rolled his eyes, let go of Hugo's shoulder, picked his fork back up, our lot giggling at his comment. Molly was not amused.

"I was actually talking about uncle Harry refereeing the match." Molly said somewhat calmly, smiling even. Albus huffed, rolled his eyes, and dropped his fork again. But before he could say anything to her, she was babbling again.

"No offense, uncle, but you were being biased towards Albus, Lily, and James. You hardly called any fouls on them, or anyone else on their team."

Uncle Harry looked shell shocked. Everyone at the table was looking between the two of them.

"No offense, Molly but no one on Albus' team was beating bludgers at their teammates!" Rose snapped, grabbing Scorpius' hand protectively. Malfoy's face turned red and he too dropped his fork and buried his head in his free hand. He was losing man points as the clock ticked.

Molly rolled her eyes and took another sip of wine before speaking. "Lucy doesn't count as a real teammate. She's the most dreadful seeker I've ever seen." She laughed. Lucy simply shrugged and continued eating. I envied how easy it was for her to tune Molly out.

"D'you ever stop to think that's why you lost?" Albus blurted out. "Y'know, the fact that you forced Lucy, who can hardly walk two steps without breaking something, into playing seeker? A blind and deaf giant would have been more successful." Albus explained. "No offense, Lu." He added.

"None taken." Lucy replied, her mouth full of food.

"How was I supposed to know she wouldn't be any good? Roxy's a decent seeker." Molly smirked and looked at me. Why was she looking at me? Why was she even involving me in this? "Or was, I mean. Daddy told me about how you got kicked off of the team. That's too bad." She was shaking her head, a fake look of sympathy stretched across her face.

Lucy stopped eating. And when Lucy stops eating, that means shit just got serious.

I stared at Molly for a long time. First of all, I wasn't a _decent _seeker. I was a fan-fucking-tastic seeker. Second, did a twenty-something year old woman just call her dad, _daddy? _And third, "Piss off!" It came out before I could stop it.

"Roxanne!" My mum hissed from the other end of the table. I ignored her and kept my eyes on Molly, who was smiling at me, satisfied.

"Well that wasn't very nice, _Roxanne_." Molly said from behind her wineglass. "You might want to mind your manners, dear cousin. I don't think your rudeness will be so easily tolerated now."

Everyone continued to watch us. I said nothing, because I knew that if I opened my mouth again that I would only be momentarily satisfied while Molly would triumph.

Molly gasped. "I daresay she might have learned her lesson while away at Athchoir." Molly giggled. "That's lovely, really. Because I know they could easily ship you off again, with your record. Come on, what else did they teach you in Ireland, other than manners?"

I could feel my face heating up. All eyes were on me, waiting for some kind of reaction.

"How to pick a crazy person out of a crowd." I replied simply, calmly, somehow maneging to smile. This was going to end badly; in either blood or tears. Or both. "You're lucky uncle Harry didn't call the loony bin to come pick you up today, because you, _my dear cousin, _are bloody insane."

Albus looked disappointed by my response. It definitely wasn't one of my best.

"Speaking of _Loony-Bins," _Molly began, pretending to be unfazed. "I heard about you snogging that Scamander boy. I didn't want to bring it up, I figured it would upset you. Did he find a new girl to snog while you were away?" She asked, batting her eye lashes. I wanted to rip them off.

I shrugged. "Dunno. I've never been the type to stalk blokes.. Maybe you could teach me one day.." I said with faux excitement. " Ay, by the way, I heard your fiance dumped you. I didn't want to bring it up, I figured it would upset you. Did he find a new girl to snog when he found out your were mental?"

"AND SHE'S BACK!" Albus slapped his hand against the table. Lucy's laughter was the exclamation point to his statement. She literally fell out of her chair and rolled around on the floor cackling, looking as if she were having a seizure.

**24 hours later: **

"ROXANNE!" Matilda Flint more or less flung herself at me as I approached the Slytherin table in the Great Hall. Matty wasn't the touchiest of people, so I know she had to miss A LOT to hug me.

"I missed you too Matilda." I laughed and eased myself out of her grasp. Excluding family, Matilda was one of my best friends.

"Why weren't you on the train?! " She demanded as I took the seat she had saved for me. "I didn't think you were coming back when I didn't see you, and then I ran into Albus and he told me otherwise."

"My parents had to escort me." I rolled my eyes. "And sign a bunch of papers. Can you believe I've already had my first meeting with the headmaster?" I laughed as I began buttering a roll.

"It doesn't really surprise me." Matilda smiled as she helped herself to the platter of mashed potatoes. "Anyways, you have dirt to spill. A lot of it." She quickly reminded me. As if I could some how forget.

I knew this was coming. And it was going to keep coming. Like one of those annoying, endless late night pisses that wakes you up from a dead sleep.

Maybe I should just ask headmaster Slughorn if I can make an official announcement to the entire bloody school so I wouldn't have to keep explaining myself.

"I know." I finally said. "But you know I can't gossip on an empty stomach. After dinner?" I propose.

Matilda raised a wavering brow before nodding. "Fine. There's lots I want to tell you anyways." And so she did.

Gael Warrington, also known as 'the Antichrist', 'the She-Devil', and 'The Slyther-cunt' had taken _my _place as Slytherin's seeker after I left for Athchoir. I wondered briefly why no one in my family had told me about this blasphemy as I glared hatefully at the side of Gael's smugly smiling face. As if I didn't already loath her enough! There was nothing she could possibly do to make me hate her more than I do now. I had said that loads of times before, but really, this was the whipped cream on the pumpkin pie! Elitist Slyther-cunt. Luckily, Matilda had more drama to catch me up on that _didn't _somehow affect me directly. Basil Zabini and his step-sister Aarika Bradley-Zabini were caught partaking in sibling bonding in the form of snogging behind a tapestry before the end of last term. Apparently people were still pretty hung up on it. I was thanking Merlin for this; maybe everyone would be so caught up on the almost-incest that they'll somehow manage to forget that I burnt down the forbidden forest.

Somehow.

Morrison Bletchley's younger brother Marley Bletchley had been discovered to be a squib. That was a sad feat for anyone; but even more so for a pureblood Slytherin. Apparently it had been such a disaster that Morrison's girlfriend, Gael the Antichrist had broken up with him. I scanned the long table. Morrison was sitting by himself at the very end of it, poking his food with his fork while stealing sullen glances at the She-Devil herself. He looked sad. I almost felt bad for him.

Almost.

None of the other gossip was really scandalous enough to mention. But I did manage to get Matilda so wrapped up in telling me about it that she ultimately forgot to ask about _my _gossip. After dinner - I had missed the sorting ceremony while off having my meeting with the headmaster - I caught up with Lucy so we could check our schedules to see if we had any classes together. I think there was a fluke in their system because our schedules were identical. Hogwarts was just asking for it, weren't they? If Albus were in our year, the entire school would be fucked. Matilda and I on the other hand didn't have a single class together, or even a free period at the same time.

"At least we'll be able to see each other at Quidditch practice!" Matilda chirped as we both began unpacking our things.

I still didn't have my wand, so I had to resort to unpacking the tedious muggle way. I froze in place after struggling to get my trunk onto my four-poster. "Err. Sadly, we won't." I began, glancing over at her as I unlatched one of the locks. Matilda furrowed her brow and rolled her eyes.

"Oh please. The She-Devil can't possibly beat you at tryouts this year." She pointed out. Gael had been trying out for seeker ever since our first year. And every year, I beat her.

"You're right. 'Cause I'm not trying out." I announced. Matty's jaw dropped. "M'not allowed. Slughorn banned me from playing. I don't even think I'm allowed to the games."

Matilda looked more upset than I did. She must have been, because she didn't even go off on some huge rant about how unfair the whole thing was. Instead, she sighed in defeat and continued unpacking.

I too turned my attention back to my trunk and unlocked the second latch. I grimaced a bit as I opened the top of it, the smell of Athchoir hitting me in the face. I hadn't even bothered unpacking when I had gotten home; I would just have to repack to come back here.

Memories started hitting me, hard. Like an army of Molly's wild bludgers all bewitched to attack me. I closed my eyes.

I remember hearing, at some point in my 16 years of existence, that olfactory senses could make you recollect things your short term memory had long past forgotten.

That's what was happening. So many moments that I had thus forgotten about were coming back to me. _No! _I wasn't going to go _there. _So I opened my eyes.

That didn't help.

Looking up at me from my trunk was a picture of Liam.

* * *

**A/N: See what I mean about a filler chapter? Anyways, now that Roxanne is back at school, the story should get more fun! Reviews are always welcomed and appreciated! **


	4. Merlin Take the Wand

You know those nights where you are so exhausted that you pass out as soon as your head hits the pillow?

Yeah, last night was not one of those nights.

I couldn't stop thinking about Liam. No matter how hard I tried.

It was _stupid. _I didn't want, to want to think about him. I didn't want to _miss _him. Ugh. Gag. I am not _that _girl. I'm not all lovey-dovey and unicorns and rainbows.

But it seemed as though _that _is what all of these alien feelings had reduced me to.

* * * * * * * * *  
_A distant memory: _

"Ya know tha's _dangerous_, don't ya?" Liam warned from the ground. He was looking upward, a bottle of Clover Mint whiskey in one hand, an unlit cigarette in the other.

"Shhh! Don't talk! You're going to make me fall!" I quickly hushed him.

"D'you suppose I should quit breathin' too?" Liam snickered at my drunken logic, which caused me to laugh and slightly lose my balance. I gasped and flailed my arms out to my sides, quickly regaining it.

"Jesus H. Christ, Roxy! Just get the bleedin' Hell down from there, would ya?" Liam all but begged.

"Not until I show you.." My voice trailed off. It was hard to talk and remain perfectly still while under the influence of several shots of Clover Mint. Even more so while standing on something as thin as a broomstick handle. But somehow I was managing.

"You don't have to show me." Liam whispered. "I believe you."

"Lies." I whispered back.

"Just a lil white one. C'mon, get down."

I didn't say anything back to him, but instead continued to use the hovering broomstick as a balance beam.

"_Please?" _

"Nope." I answered once I was finally balanced on the nose of the broom. After a few seconds, I slowly began to balance myself on the tip of my toes, just to show off. "Are you ready to see something amazing?" I asked him.

"I already see something amazing." He smiled. "So get down, and come keep me warm, yeah?"

"1..."

"Roxy, stop.."

"2..." I Slowly raised my hands over my head.

"Seriously, just get do-"

"3!"

In one quick, yet horribly graceless movement, I jumped into the air, leaned my body backwards, and did a back flip. However, I lost my footing while trying to land. One boot landed perfectly on the center of the broomstick while the other didn't even touch it - and within seconds, I was plummeting to the ground.

"Uhhhhhgahhhhhhhh!" I'm not sure that the noise I made during my free fall was human.

_GRUMPH! _

The ground was softer than I thought it would be. It was more or less holding me. Maybe I was dead? Killed instantly from a snapped neck? Maybe I could stay here and haunt this place? Become _Nearly Headless Roxy? _That would teach my bloody family to boot me off!

I opened my eyes. Apparently God had already forgiven me for burning down the forbidden forest, because I was in heaven. Or Liam's arms. Which could be the same thing. I don't know. I have never died before.

My arms were wrapped around Liam's neck, and, in turn, his arms were cradling me against his chest much like a baby. I soon realized that I was sitting on his lap. I bet his bum was freezing.

"Fuckin' shite, Rox!" He gasped, his warm alcohol tainted breath smothering me. "Ya got to stop twistin' hay, lass! Ya could have killed yourself!" He exclaimed.

"You shouldn't have told me to prove it." I hiccup-giggled.

"How was I 'spose to know you were _fluthered_ enough to do it?!"

"This had nothing to do with being drunk." I hiccuped again, picking up on his Irish slang. "I was proving a point."

"Oh you proved it. Might as well put a Santa hat on you and call you Randal." Liam teased. I furrowed my brow, confused. "You're off your nut."

"Off my nut?" This sounded naughty...

"You're _crazy, mental_." He explained, amused.

"Oh. You could have just said that. I'm not easily offended."

"I did say that."

"I meant in English."

"Oi, cute can't even touch you right now." Liam chuckled.

"Thanks for saving me. I owe you one." I was clearly three sheets to the wind, pissed; because I'm pretty sure Liam just called me cute and I wasn't freaking out over it.

"Can I go ahead and collect by debt?" He asked, green eyes smoldering me.

"I reckon... I'm not sure how well I could save your life right now though." I said airily. "I'm..." I paused, trying to think of one of the many slang words he would use to describe being drunk. "... I'm elephants!" I cackled and kicked my feet. So much more amused by this than I should have been. I was such a bloody lightweight when it came to drinking.

"Well, I'll settle for something else then." Liam wavered, smirking.

"Like what?"

"Like this..."

Liam closed the space between our lips and kissed me. I was glad my hands were already around his neck because I wouldn't have known that to do with them... I'd never kissed anyone before.

* * * * * * * * *

Or so I had thought.

I eyed the Ravenclaw table wearily as I spread butter, then jam across my scone. There was hardly anyone sitting at it. Lorcan wasn't there and for that I was thankful; though I knew I couldn't avoid him forever. Plus, curiosity on how _the Lorcan thing _had been initiated would eventually get the best of me.

I had finished my scone and was halfway through a chocolate chip muffin when Lucy came and sat down beside me.

"Good morning, gorgeous!" Lucy chirped, elbow on the table, cheek resting against her palm. She was unnaturally happy given how early it was.

"At least one of us is having a good morning." I said, half masticated muffin flopping about my mouth. "Why are you so chipper?" I asked.

"Oh, I don't know." She sighed happily. "I guess it could have something to do with Elias."

Of course it did.

I didn't want to smile. I wanted to be all brooding and miserable and just overdose on chocolate chip muffins because the bloke I may or may not fancy is I-don't-even-know-how-many miles away and there was a big possibility I'd never see him again.

But, I smiled.. faintly. "So you two are on a first name basis?" I asked.

Lucy nodded. "Well, not officially.. But _it's _definitely headed in that direction."

"How do you know?" I asked curiously. Boys were the biggest difference between Lu and I.

She always got the kind of attention that girls _want _from blokes. Whereas, I, on the other hand, always got noogies and high fives.

Not ever caring enough to want a boyfriend, it never bothered me much until now. I am more or less flirting impaired.

"Just the little things." Lucy smiled after thinking. "The way he looks at me, it's like he can't see anything or anyone else whether we are alone or not."

I furrowed my brow, unimpressed. "You can tell all that just by how he looks at you?" I asked flatly.

"You can tell _a lot _by how a bloke looks at you Roxy." Lucy replied simply. "Plus, there is so much tension between us." She sounded slightly frustrated but she was still smiling.

She had a point. I could even feel the tension between them. But their situation was so much different than mine. It was forbidden. Mine was just impossible.

And stupid.

"So why are you in a mood?" Lucy asked as I was reaching for my second muffin.

"Still don't have my wand." I deflected as I stood up. I also _miss _Liam and I can't stop thinking about him. But since the thought rouses my gag reflex I'm sure I would hurl if I actually said it out loud. "We should probably get going." Lucy nodded in agreement and we made our way out of the great hall.

"I thought you said Slughorny gave you a temporary wand to use."

"That just put disgusting thoughts into my head." I grimaced, hinting at the nickname as I dug through my bag. "This-" I paused and held up the _wand _I had been given earlier that morning. "- is what he gave me." I grumbled.

Lucy started laughing quite loudly as she took it from my grasp. "You're joking? This isn't a wand. It's a bloody twig. Does it even work?"

"I dunno. Haven't tried it yet. Slughorn said it can do any spell but it isn't very powerful." I shrugged.

"Obviously. My first training wand was probably more powerful. I know it was bigger." Lucy snorted and handed it back to me.

The _wand _was probably five inches long and as light as a quill. It really did look like a twig, with it's forked tip and thin structure.

A few minutes later we were walking inside of the Charms classroom. Normally Lucy and I sat in the back of all of our classes, but since this was professor Charming's class, Lucy insisted that we sit up front. And so we did.

"Roxanne Weasley?!"

Ugh. Why do people have to know me? I sank lower into my seat, hoping that maybe if I ignored it, it would go away.

Sadly, it did not.

Oliviana Davies approached me without much hesitation. "Welcome back!" She flashed a smile as she sat down on top of our table. "You know, I was grounded for a whole month because of the stunt you pulled."

"Yeah so was the rest of our class. Piss off Liv, it's old news." Lucy gladly said what she knew I couldn't.

Liv rolled her eyes and looked back at me. "I'm not sore about it, I was just letting you know. That was a great party until it ended up in flames, by the way."

Oliviana had a certain air about her... Sometimes it was hard to tell if she was being a sarcastic bitch or if she was just too dumb to know any better.

"My thoughts exactly." I replied monotonously. Liv smiled and slid off of the desk.

"I'm really glad you're back. We must catch up sometime! Oh, and you have to plan another party sometime soon! But leave the fire out of it this time." She said before walking away.

"Why are we friends with her again?" Lucy asked as she watched Oliviana take her seat in the back of the classroom.

"No idea." I replied doing the same.

"Good morning everyone." Professor Charming announced.

Lucy promptly turned to face him. "Good morning Professor McLaggen." She beamed at him. He smiled at her and suddenly I knew what Lucy had meant earlier. There was definitely something brewing between them. His icy eyes were piercing her, as if they were sending her a secret message. I had never seen anyone look at someone so.. _passionately. _He really was the professor of _charm. _  
And though it was only a fleeting moment, I could tell it left Lucy's head spinning.

Professor Charming leaned against his desk and eyed the tables of students. "Some of you may remember I was interning with Professor Flitwick last year... Some of you probably don't care. Either way, I am Elias McLaggen, and I am now the charms professor and the head of Ravenclaw house." He explained. A group of Ravenclaw girls burst into fit of quiet giggles at the latter part of his announcement.

"Any questions?" he asked. "Alright, Ms..?" He pointed towards the back of the room.

"Davies." Apparently Oliviana was going to put her genius on display. "Oliviana Davies, but you can call me Liv." She openly flirted.

Professor charming smiled and it looked terribly forced. "Ms. Davies. What's your question?" He asked.

"Are you married?" It seemed as though Lucy, Elias, and I were the only three people in the room _not _laughing at her question.

Lucy looked like she could shove her wand up Liv's bum, while Elias on the other hand continued looking at her with the same forced smile. "I am not." He replied coolly. "Any other questions?" He waited a few seconds, and when no one raised their hand, he continued on explaining our lesson.

"Alright." He began waving his wand; every charms book in the room opened and turned to page 29. "We're going to begin simple... Starting with _iungite us amictorium. _Which literally translates to tie to scarf. Pretty self explanatory." After giving the class a chance to read over the wand movements he did a quick demonstration.

Then it was _our _turn.

"_Iungite us amictorium!" _Lucy tried; My green and silver tie fluffed up but quickly went back to normal. She frowned. "Ugh!"

"Don't fret Ms. Weasley." Professor charming said from over her shoulder. He had been watching her; and I had been watching him watch her. Which probably sounds strange, but whatever. He leaned over her shoulder and slid his hands down her arms and onto her hands. "Just relax. That's it. Now, move like this. Perfect. Now try again."

I don't know how Lucy's face wasn't turning red, because mine sure as hell was.

"_Iungite us amictorium!" _She copied his tone and movement and within seconds my tie fluffed into a green and silver scarf. "I did it!" She cried.

"Of course you did. Good job." Mr. McLaggen gave Lucy's shoulder a squeeze before he walked away to check on the rest of the class.

"That was brilliant. Good job, Lu."

Lucy smiled and flailed her arms. Though I don't think that her current fit was over the successful charm she had cast.

"Your turn Rox!" Lucy said excitedly.

I picked up my twig. I mean, my wand, and pointed it at Lucy's tie. "_Iungite us amictorium!" _I said confidently as I swished and flicked my wand.

Lucy's tie shrank in size and length and tightened around her neck.

"Well that isn't right." I furrowed my brow. The tie continued tightening around her neck and Lucy flung her hands up to her throat, trying to pull it away, but it was tightening too quickly...

Was it..

"OH MY GODS!"

It was choking her!

I was killing Lucy!

Merlin take the wand.

"DIFFINDO!" I shouted, wand pointed at the still tightening tie. My aim must have been off, because the spell hit her shirt collar, more or less causing it to tear to shreds. "DIFFINDO!" I tried again. There went her blazer, tearing at the seams. "ELIAS, HELP!"

"Er.. I mean Professor... Charmin- McLaggen! JUST BLOODY FUCK! HELP!" I screamed. Obviously I worked wonderfully under pressure.

Professor McLaggen barrel rolled over two tables to get to Lucy and very quickly and calmly reversed the spell.

"Are you alright?!" He asked worriedly. Lucy nodded as she gasped for air.

"Lu, I am so sorry. I- this stupid wand!" I threw it at the table and sparks shot out of the end of it.

"First you burn down the forbidden forest, and now you're trying to off your own family?! Blimey, you have gone mental, Weasley!" Calvin Fernsby shouted. The room more or less erupted with laughter.

"I'm about to show you mental, Fernsby!" I was out of my seat and stomping towards the arrogant Gryffindor before I even knew it.

I was hardly 5'2" while he was every bit of 6'3". Big things come in small packages and I was about to prove that to him.

I reared my fist back but something, or someone, rather, snatched my wrist.

"Now, now Ms. Weasley. Hogwarts has as much tolerance for violence as it does ignorance." Professor McLaggen stated calmly as he looked from me to Calvin, letting go of my wrist. "Mr. Fernsby. I remember you. I see you're still cheeky." He half smiled; it definitely looked like more of a smirk, though. A smirky kind of half smile. " I've always appreciated a bit of cheek. Could you do me a favor? Next time you try to insult one of your classmates could you at least try to be.. oh, I don't know... Funny? Maybe a little classy, too?" He stared at him. "I understand that wit isn't for everyone, but even _you _could do better than that."

The things this man's eyes could do to people. He was calm all around, but the way he was looking at Fernsby was kind of scary.

I definitely never want to cross this bloke.

Calvin was red in the face and sweaty.. like he was trying to hold in a poo that was forcing it's way out; and of course he said nothing back. But found his seat immediately.

"Fifty points from Gryffindor for an inappropriate and also very pointless disruption." Professor McLaggen announced as he turned to walk back toward the front of the room, pointing me back to my seat in the process.

I sat down next to Lucy, who still seemed to be a little shaken up. "I'm sorry I made your tie choke you." For whatever reason, it sounded funny saying it out loud and I ended up letting out a loud cackle.

Lucy joined me, though she wasn't nearly as loud as she usually was. I reckon her voice box had a dent in it.

"Ms. Weasley." Elias cleared his throat; I glanced up at him while Lucy on the other hand continued snickering quietly, like she knew from the tone of his voice that he wasn't speaking to her. "What happened, exactly?" He asked.

With a sigh I picked up my fabulous temporary wand. "This happened." I groaned. Professor McLaggen eyed it.

"Is that a twig?" He asked seriously, brow furrowed.

"That's what I said!" Lucy laughed hoarsely. He flashed her a smile.

"It's about as useless as a twig." I rested my chin on my palm.

"I'm guessing this is a temporary wand?" He eyed it with distaste. I nodded. "They could have at least given you a decent one." He shook his head. "Here, have a go with mine." He proposed.

"Seriously?" My eyes got big. "You're willing to let me do magic with a _real _wand?"

He nodded. "Of course. How else will you learn? I hardly doubt that cheap thing they gave you could cast lumos properly, let alone a descent charm." Grinning, he handed me his wand.

* * * * * * * * *

After the disaster in Charms, the rest of the day was destined for epic failure.

My wand caused my stick-it potion to explode in potions. Which was highly embarrassing since that's the one class I was decent at, thanks to Lorcan. The classroom had to be evacuated and I was forced to visit the infirmary because the cauldron literally blew up in my face.

Other than a few scorch marks, singed eyebrows, and sticky hair, I was fine.

My uniform, not so much. It had burn marks, soot damage, and dark purple stains all over it.

On top of all that, I had loads of people on my case asking me questions about my absence and complaining about how much trouble they got into for being out past curfew in the forbidden forest, drinking at _my _party.

Not to under mind their punishments... but they didn't catch an arson and misuse of magic charge, have their wand revoked, or get sent off to a bloody reform school.

Okay, so maybe I _am _under minding their punishments. But boo-bloody-hoo. They got a few howlers, or detention, or missed a Hogsmeade weekend or two. Big deal! My punishment was far more cruel and unusual.

I spent my free periods between potions and muggle studies in my dorm room - where I may or may not have stolen a few glances at the picture of Liam I had found in my trunk - avoiding people.

Matilda was in class and Lucy was off setting up a tutoring schedule with professor McLaggen so I was left with only my thoughts as company.

They kept going back to the same thing. Liam.

After finding the photo of him in my trunk - that I ended up putting under my pillow - I hadn't the nerve to keep unpacking it, out of fear of what else I might find inside of it. However after fifteen minutes of idly staring at it, curiosity got the best of me, and once more I unlatched the locks, the smell of fresh paint and antiseptic spray smothering me as I pulled the top of the trunk open.

On the very top there was a large tattered envelope filled with pictures and old folded parchment.

Some of the pictures were of family and friends from Hogwarts - but the majority of them were pictures from Athchoir.

Théophile Emilé - a bloke who got kicked out of Beauxbatons for defacing their collection 15th century art - was in more of these pictures than anyone else. He was pretty damn obsessed with himself, which I'm starting to assume is a Frenchmen thing, because Louis is every bit as self absorbed. Théo was a cool enough bloke though; not to mention one of Liam's best friends.

Lenka Danilov, Vera Feldberg, Anze Vlasko, and Nikolaj Gravegaard were all expelled from Durmstrang for poly-juicing themselves into various faculty members and putting on strip shows for the rest of the institution.

They were always good fun.

After flipping through the pictures two times I found myself smiling. As horrible as that place was, I ended up having an alright time. A good time, even.

I put the pictures away and starting nosing through the parchment. There were quite a few tardy slips and detention slips and loads of notes. I laughed at some, and was left completely puzzled by others.

**- **

_Let me have it _

**Not happening. **

_Don't be selfish_

**I'm not being selfish. I'm preserving. **

_Selfish. _

-

I have no idea what that was about.

-

**What did you want to tell me? **

_What? _

**At lunch, you said you wanted to tell me something.**

_**Something. **_

**Don't be annoying. **

_It's in my nature. Ya know that. _

**You're avoiding my question. **

_What question? _

**Stop playing dumb! I am too impatient. You said it was important. **

_It is. _

**Then what is ****it?**

_**A big deal... **_

**Very cute, Liam. **

_Likewise. _

**You are still avoiding it. Tell me! **

_I'm not sure if I should. _

**And why not? **

_You'll judge me for it. _

**Is it THAT bad? What did you do?!**

_Point proven. I didn't do anything, and __it_ _isn't bad. _

**Then tell me. **

_**After class. **_

**- **

**Come to think of it, he never told me what he was making such a big deal out of. **

**I folded the parchment back up, put them back into the old ruddy envelope, and continued digging through my trunk. I was in such a rush to leave Athchoir that I hadn't paid much attention to what I had thrown inside of it. I made off with a few of Vera's shirts and one of her dirty Durmstrang socks. Within the rubbish of books, candy wrappers, and unidentifiable objects was a green and silver sweater that I recognized as soon as I saw it. I quickly yanked it out of the trunk. **

**Liam had loaned me this sweater **_**months **_**ago and had asked if he could have it back all the bloody time. I suppose it was his favorite sweater. Or maybe it was the warmest one he had. Either way, he wore it al the time. **

**No, I wasn't a creep who kept it on purpose. **

**I legitimately had no idea were it was. **

**However, I may be a creep to an extent... **

**I hugged the wool fabric against my chest and inhaled deeply, hoping that it might still smell like him... **

**I frowned. **

**It smelled like the bottom of an old trunk. **

*** * * * * * * * * **

I had been so preoccupied by unpacking my trunk that if it weren't for Albus I probably would have stayed in my dorm and starved to death.

Okay, maybe that is a little dramatic

But when we arrived to the great hall it was pretty deserted. I scanned the Hufflepuff table for Lucy but I should have known that she wouldn't be there. Lucy was never late for a meal.

Out of habit I eyed the Ravenclaw table; no sign of Lorcan either. Just a bunch of quidditch players.

Once we were seated I searched the Gryffindor table, which was also scant on occupants; though most of which sitting at the table also played quidditch. I furrowed my brow and then looked up and down the Slytherin table.

"Did I miss something?" I asked Albus, who was shoveling mashed potatoes into his mouth.

"Nawt Muwch." He said, his mouth full. "Just a little quidditch match." He explained.

"_A little _quidditch match? It looks like every house was involved."

"They were." He replied simply. "Ravenclaw and Slytherin teamed up against Hufflepuff and Gryffindor."

I frowned and stabbed my fork into my steak with more force than necessary.

Bollocks.

"Oi. Scrops is in the dog house!" Albus laughed; I looked up from my wounded steak to see Rose and Scorpius in the middle of a quiet argument.

"What did he do this time?" I asked boredly. Rose and Scorpius might have only recently started dating, but they have been acting like and old married couple for ages. After a few more seconds of arguing, Rose shoved Scorpius and stomped off to the Gryffindor table, while Scorpius sulked toward Slytherin's.

"Trouble is paradise?" Albus butted in immediately.

Scorpius huffed and nodded.

"That's exactly why I stay single mate."

"She's being all protective again. It's driving me insane. I know she means well, but I can take care of myself." He complained.

"That's what girls do. They take your heart and then your balls." Albus teased.

"Brilliant." Scorpius sighed.

"Don't listen to him." I interjected. "He knows as much about relationships as Hugo knows about quidditch."

"Oh, and you know so much because you snogged Lorcan Scamander."

"You snogged Lorcan Scamander?" Matilda chimed from behind me.

"Oh, yes she did." Albus answered for me. I flung my fork at him and picked up another as Matilda sat down beside me.

"Why were you snogging _Lorcan Scamander?" _She asked distastefully. "And why didn't you tell me?!"

I glanced from her, to my full plate, and back again;

"I don't care how hungry you are! You're spilling."

"I didn't know until a few days ago. It was during the party last year, and I was really drunk. Not one of my proudest moments." I said quickly, then shoved a piece of steak into my mouth.

Matilda looked like she was about to say something but her eyes drifted off to Albus, who was talking to Scorpius about something.

"So what did ya think of that new bloke, the Ravenclaw?" Albus asked.

"I think it's too bloody bad that he's in Ravenclaw. He'd make a damn good keeper." He replied idly. Neither of them realizing that Matty and I were listening.

"Why do you care what Albus is saying?" I asked her, confused.

"Shhh!" She swatted my arm. "Just listen." She whispered.

Yeah, I'll do that. I rolled my eyes and continued eating.

"He seems like a cool enough guy, I wou-" That was where I stopped paying attention.

I had no desire to hear Albus fan-boy over some 'cool bloke' he wants to get to know and induct into his gang of womanizers.

"Oh doesn't he sound perfect?!" Matty said suddenly. I jumped a little.

"What?" I looked around. Albus and Scorpius were both gone.

"The guy Albus was talking about." She replied, eyes narrowed.

"Oh, right. Yeah, he sounds.. great." Whoever he was.

"He is gorgeous. I would point him out to you, but he said he was skipping dinner." She went on. "He's in a few of my classes. He's so funny."

Oh save me, she's giggling.

"Like, you wouldn't think that he would be so funny or laid back, because he's a Ravenclaw. I mean, just look at Scamander - er. Sorry."

I waved my hand dismissively and continued eating.

"So anyways, he's -"

An owl swooped down onto our table and Matilda grabbed the scroll off of it's foot.

"Weasley, Roxanne?" She handed me the scroll, her brow raised high.

I hesitated before taking it, a thought in the back of my mind making my heart race.

_Maybe Liam found a way to owl me... _

Or not.

_You have detention from 7 pm until 9 pm tonight._  
_Location: Hagrid's Hut. _

I frowned and then grimaced.

"What is it?" Matilda question.

"Detention. Er, I never got to tell you, I have like a million hours of it to serve. And apparently it's with Hagrid of all people."

She made a face but didn't say anything and I glanced at the grandfather clock overhead. It was 6:45

I sighed. "I'm sorry, but I have to go. I promise, I will fill you on _everything _tomorrow_._"


	5. A Hard Day's Night

I could tell that Matilda was annoyed with me. She was doing that thing that most girls so when they are annoyed; pretending like she wasn't.

I couldn't blame her though.

I was even annoyed with me.

For different reasons, of course.

Matty had never been Albus' biggest fan, so I knew that him blurting out my snogging Lorcan before she even knew about it had aggravated her.

Whereas, I was aggravated that it happened at all.

Not to mention the hundreds of hours of detention I had earned myself that she also did not know about. Though, I hardly doubt not knowing about it annoyed her as much as the fact that it had put a damper in her plans to bombard me with useless information about the new bloke that she liked.

Not like it mattered much. She would just like a different one within a week. It was just the type of person that she was.

Honestly, she was kind of like a less arrogant female version of Albus. Which explained why they didn't get along very well.

* * * * * * * * *

"Oh. My. God." I stood, frozen, in the courtyard. This was the first time I had seen the forest since the accident.

I hadn't understood the extent of the damage until I saw it then with my own eyes. The Forbidden _forest_ looked more like the Forbidden _field_.

For miles and miles where trees once stood was _nothing_ but the occasional stump or lone oak that somehow survived the enchanted flames.

Lucy wasn't exaggerating.

I had literally destroyed half of it.

My eyes fell upon Hagrid's hut and dread washed over me. He was never a mean person, but then again, no one had ever burned down the forest before. And he _is _a half giant. He probably has a lot of pent up half-giant frustration that he's just been waiting to unleash.

He was probably going to torture me. Maybe catch me ablaze. You know, an eye for an eye type of deal. Of course he wouldn't kill me, because that would break the secret contract that he and headmaster Slughorn had probably worked out. Instead, he would dangle me over death for the next two hours, and again during my next detention, and again, and again, until I eventually go mental and end up locked in a cell with Molly at the loony bin.

In the distance I could see Hagrid standing outside of his hut chatting with a student, and as I got closer, I could tell _who _that student was.

Lorcan.

Both he and Hagrid were holding shovels and neither of them seemed to notice me as I approached them. I did my best to keep my gaze away from Scamander after I cleared my throat, making my presence known.

He seemed to be doing the same thing.

"Roxanne, yer late." Hagrid said, not hatefully, but not in his usual jolly-bearded-giant tone either.

"Sorry." I replied, unable to make up an excuse for my tardiness. Unfortunately I couldn't tell him the truth, that I knew about his master plan to off me. Though now I was starting to think maybe he was just going to bury me alive. "I'm sorry about what happened - " I began, hoping that maybe an apology would make him have mercy on me.

He quickly held his hand up, silencing me. "Do ye know how much wildlife died 'cause of wha' ye did?" He asked, tears swelling in his eyes.

Again, Lucy wasn't exaggerating. This was depressing.

"How many poor creatures lost their homes 'cause you two were reckless?"

I glanced at Lorcan quick enough to see that he was hanging his head in shame.

He was probably taking this as bad as Hagrid was. Merlin knows how much he loves animals.

"I thought long and hard about yer punishment." Hagrid wiped the tears from his face and offered me the shovel he was holding. "Yer both gonna help me regrow it." He announced. I took the shovel.  
"The muggle way." He added, pointing towards wagons full of potted plants.

"Ya can't use your wands for anything." He made his point clear. Not that it mattered a lot to me; my twig wouldn't be of much use.

"C'mon, follow me." He lead us to the wagons. "I've got the biggest. Lorcan, ya can take tha' one." Hagrid pointed toward the second wagon.

I gasped as I looked at it; the plants sitting in it were _alive_. Literally - breathing and hissing and snapping. Lorcan seemed unfazed as he grabbed the handle and wheeled them away, whereas I was still staring at them like they were going to eat me.

"They won't hurt ya, Roxanne! They're horribly misunderstood plants." Hagrid shook his head.  
"No matter, ya just got trees. C'mon, we're losin' daylight." He waved his hand.

I carefully put my shovel inside of the wagon, grabbed the handle, and followed suit behind Hagrid; for whatever reason, Lorcan was leading the way.

What remained of the forest was plotted off into squares, all labelled according to what type of plant or tree was going to be grown there. The further in we went, the more it actually looked like a forest.

Of course there were no towering willows or pines,  
but trees that had recently been planted - and most likely spelled, because some were already as tall as me - and shrubbery that was so bright and thriving that it hurt your eyes if you looked at it for too long.

It seemed like we walked for hours before arriving to the designated plots.

**Grass Goblins. Hissing Herbs. Pine. **

"I reckon' ya know how to plant those herbs, yeah?" Hagrid said to Lorcan.

"Yes sir." He replied, shrugging out of his Ravenclaw blazer.

"All right, get to it then. I'm sure ya know they have to be planted before the sun sets." Hagrid walked away from Lorcan and towards me.

"Ya have the simplest task. Dig a hole this deep-" Hagrid paused and pointed to a red line on the middle of my shovel. "- and put the tree inside of it. Then ya cover it back up and do it all over again with the next. Understand?"

Sounds easy enough.

I nodded and pulled my hair into a messy bun.

This wasn't going to be _that _bad.

**Twenty minutes later: **

_This is shit!_

Sweat was dripping from every pore on my body as I hammered the tip of my shovel into the earth once more; I had hardly made any progress in digging a hole despite my tedious efforts to do so.

I had merely made a dent.

I grunted breathlessly and hugged the shovel, leaning on it for support, a very small part of me wishing that I was one of aunt Fleur's children. She would never let any of them be forced into hard labor.

_Zey are far too boo't'ful! _

Wiping my brow, I glanced to my left; a pair of very tan, broad, sculpted, shoulders were flexed and staring at me, dirt flying over them.

Holy mother of Merlin.

As if he could hear my thoughts, or felt my gaze, Lorcan turned around.

My jaw was hanging open, because let's face it, no one - myself included - would expect to see _that _hidden under _Lorcan Scamander's _robes.

His arms were big and muscular, veins protruding the length of them; his chest and torso were thick and defined.

His body was like a sculpture.

A tan, sweat cloaked, hormone manipulating, perfectly molded, sculpture.

My gaze lingered around his hips before I looked up at his face.

He looked embarrassed and I still looked shocked.

Suddenly it was like we were having an awkward staring contest. Like both of us wanted to say something, but at the same time, we both wanted to look away. But neither of us could.. or would.

"'Scuse me, can you two make eyes at each other on yer own time?" Hagrid's voice broke the silence and I promptly looked away from Lorcan.

Obviously Hagrid is blind, because _that _was not what I call _making eyes _at someone. That was a full blown creepy, gawking, open-mouth stare; and I probably would have been embarrassed over it if I hadn't been in such a state of shock.

Poking my shovel at the ground again I stole one quick, final glance at Lorcan.

He was... _hot. _

Like buff quidditch player hot. Only he didn't play quidditch. Which makes that an awful analogy now that I think about it.

I'm just saying, he had done a lot of growing up. I hadn't even noticed it when I ran into him a few days earlier. I guess I was so embarrassed I couldn't comprehend anything.. and now, I felt as shallow as a puddle. It wasn't half as embarrassing knowing that he finally grew into his ears and had a stomach that I could wash my knickers on.

_I wonder if he got that snaggle tooth fixed..._

Oh what the hell is wrong with me? Good looking or not - it was _Lorcan_, for Merlin's sake.

Bloody hormones.

I spent the remainder of my detention actively _not _looking at Lorcan and forcing away any and all thoughts of Liam. It was strange, but the two of them kinda tied together. Had that fiasco with Lorcan never occurred, I never would have met Liam.

I managed to get two trees planted by the time dusk was setting in; Hagrid and Lorcan had finished planting theirs early on and silently helped me with the rest of mine until detention was over.

Lorcan and I didn't exchange another glance, let alone a single word; And once we were out of the forest and Hagrid had dismissed us, we took separate paths back to the castle. All of which was completely fine by me. I definitely wasn't ready to have _the talk _with him. Or any other conversation for that matter.

*** * * * * * * * * **

The dungeons were eerily quiet. This could only mean one of two things; everyone was dead, or there was a party taking place.

I really hoped everyone was dead because I wasn't in the mood to be social.

Though, I _could _use a drink.

"Salazar Slytherin is stunning." I groaned the password to the wall. The passageway appeared and I slowly stalked inside of it; the faint sound of Celtic music increasing as the wall closed behind me.

The common room was darker than usual - so much that the green tinge through the windows from the black lake seemed to glow. It was also quite crowded; which said a lot, because Slytherin had the largest common room in the school.

I maneuvered my way through the sea of dancing bodies and noticed rather quickly that this was an inner-house party. Salazar was probably rolling over in his grave right now. I hardly doubt he ever intended for Gryffindors and lesser bloods to cavort around _his _common room.

It was times like this that being vertically challenged was a burden. All I could see were elbows, backs, and shoulders.

I eventually came to a bit of a clearing at the stone steps that gave way to the assortment of low-backed leather sofas and armchairs by the fireplace.

From what I could see, Rose and Scorpius had made up since their argument at dinner, as they were so entwined in an armchair that I couldn't tell where she ended and he began. Matilda was sitting on the couch, all of her attention on the bloke sitting opposite of her; the back of his head was facing me, his arms flailing around the air above it. I had no idea what he was talking about, but he seemed to have quite an audience, including - but not limited to - Oliviana 'Are you married' Davies and Gael 'The Antichrist' Warrington.

"ROX! YA MADE IT!" Albus screamed at the side of my face as he threw his heavy arm around my shoulder. He had pretty much appeared out of no where. "Isn't it brilliant?" He asked, looking up at the ceiling as he forced us into spin.

"You did this?" I asked, surprised. Obviously he loved parties, but he had never been much for planning them. "What's the occasion?"

"Since when do you need an occasion to have a good time?" He shook his head. "My idea, but no, I didn't put it together. Warrington did." He laughed. I made a face. "Don't look at me like that! It's not like I could ask you for help, you were in detention."

"So? You could have asked Matilda to help you or even Lucy or Rose." I folded my arms. "Anyone but _her. _You don't fraternize with the enemy, Albus!"

"She's not _my _enemy." He said simply, reaching for a shot glass that was sitting on a nearby levitating serving tray. "Here, drink this and she won't be yours either."

"Yes she will." I scoffed and took the glass from him. He knew good and well that I couldn't stand her.

This was just what the healer ordered. I leaned my head back, parted my lips, and let the surprisingly cool, minty whiskey drain down my throat.

"Was that Clover Mint?" I asked, smacking my lips.

Albus held his bottle of Firewhiskey up and shrugged. "No idea. Gael took drink orders, so someone probably requested it. Why? Did it taste like a scrotum?" He asked before taking a swig.

I stared at him for a few seconds before grabbing another shot and downing it.

It tasted like Liam's lips.

"Guess not. You better watch drinkin' like that. Both of the Scamanders are 'round here somewhere. You might get em confused and snog the wrong one." Albus cackled and I jabbed my elbow into his ribs. "Ow. C'mon, I'm only jokin'. Plus, Lorcan actually seems alright."

I furrowed my brow. "And you would know that how?"

"I talked to him. Don't worry, _I_ didn't mention you." Albus informed. I felt relieved. "_He_ did." He smirked. "Poor bloke thinks that ya hate him." He stated and took another swig from his bottle. "That seems like a trend though." He mused, narrowed his eyes.

I was clearly confused by the latter part of his statement and feeling a bit nauseated by the first of it.

"You know those people you used to hang out with, uh, I think they're called _friends. _Yeah, none of them even knew you were back until I told em. What's with that shite?"

"I've hardly been back for twenty-four hours. Am I supposed to drop everything and just hang out and gossip?" I replied lazily, grateful that Albus didn't peruse the subject of Lorcan any further.

"You used to." Albus shrugged lazily and finished off what remained of his Firewhiskey.

Valid point. But that was before I destroyed the forbidden forest and got 40% of Hogwarts' student body in trouble.

"Yeah, well things are different now." I grumbled. I had no means of explaining myself. Truth be told I was just moody and sore and exhausted and I wanted nothing more than to soak in the bath and pine over Liam.

"Let me fix them. We'll start with a proper introduction-" Albus smiled scarily and grabbed his wand from his pocket. Holding it at his throat my eyes got big.

"Don't you dare do it Potter." I glared at him. As stated before, I loved attention - I just wasn't in the mood for it. Plus I looked like crap. I was dirty and sweaty and I probably didn't smell all that great either.

Albus didn't seem to care. "Can I have every one's attention please?" His voice was amplified and the music quickly died down, as did the chatter around the common room. "I just think we should all take a second to - OW BALL SACKS."

Within the blink of an eye, a spotlight beamed right where I had been standing and I hid behind Albus, jabbing my fingers into his sides.

Though I couldn't see it, I knew everyone in the room was staring at him.

"To make a toast. To the class of 2024." He filled in, favoring his left side as he raised his empty bottle and lowered his wand.

The room erupted with cheers and applauds.

"Ya can get your knuckles out of my ribs now." He groaned. But I waited until the music was playing again before doing so.

"Everyone knows ya screwed up. Doesn't mean you have to be a social outcast."

I rolled my eyes.

"Roxy!" Matilda ran towards me.

"Perfect timing." Albus made a face at Matilda's arrival, taking it as his cue to leave.

"Oh, you look horrible." She grimaced and Albus cackled.

"Cheers."

"It doesn't matter, everyone is drunk." She slurred.

Except for me. I looked around for the levitating tray and helped myself to another shot.

"Come on, there is someone I want you to meet." She slurred again, yanking me by the elbow.

Though Albus seemed as if he was going to take his leave, he had not. Instead he continued to stand there, looking between the two of us, smirking.

"What do you want, Potter?" Matilda asked bluntly.

"I know who you're talkin' about. How are ya gonna introduce her when ya haven't said a word to him yourself?" He laughed.

Even under the green lights I could see Matty's face reddening.

If Albus ever died a young, tragic, non-quidditch related death, it would be at the hand of Matilda Flint.

"Anyways, that reminds me. A friend of mind has been askin' about you." He informed me.

"I don't care." I informed him. "He's probably a half-wit if he gets on well with you." I was just being rude now. Albus and I shared a lot of the same friends.

"You're such a wart nosed witch sometimes." Albus replied coolly as he began to walk away.

"And Matty, I-" Something out of the corner of my eye had caught my attention, and once I was looking at it, I couldn't look away. "Oh dear Merlin."

A short distance away was a girl dancing on a table in nothing but her Gryffindor skirt and a bra, a rather large crowd of guys gathered around her.

I really wouldn't have given two dragon droppings if said girl wasn't related to me.

"Is that... _Lily Potter_?" Matilda asked.

I nodded and promptly helped myself to another shot from the levitating tray.

"I'm sorry, but I have to take care of _that. _If Albus sees it..." If Albus caught his _baby _sister half naked on any occasion I was sure it would turn his stomach so much that he might die of repulsion. And if he saw it like this? With a herd of blokes ogling and - I tilted my head - throwing galleons, at her? Hogwarts would host its first decuple murder-suicide.

Matty seemed to understand and even offered to help me tend to the situation.

We stomped through the common room like we owned the place, and Lily looked more then thrilled to see us.

"Roxy, Tildy! Come dance with me." She giggled.

"I'm gonna need another pint for all that." Matilda commented.

"I've got a better idea. Come down here and dance with us." I cast my bate; but Lily wasn't biting.

"No one can see us down there!" She grabbed my hand. These Potter kids were freaks. Lily was inhumanely strong to be so drunk.

"That's the point." I reply.

"I think I should take off my bra! What do you guys think?" Lily cheered.

Oh God.

The guys around her clapped in approval.

"Okay, we tried this the easy way and it didn't work. Bound her up." I instructed Matilda.

"What? I'm too drunk - why can't you do it?" She asked.

"No wand."

"Oh." She fished hers out of her cloak pocket and handed it to me.

"Hey Lil, hold your arms out like this," I stretched my arms out in front of me, my wrists touching. "It makes your boobs look bigger."

Lily quickly mimicked me. "Oh Merlin! Look at these puppies now!"

And with two simple flicks, Lily's wrists were tied together.

Quickly handing Matilda her wand, I shrugged out of my blazer and put it over Lily's shoulders.

"What are you doing?" Lily demanded as Matilda and I forced her off of the table and tried to rush her away from the crowd; however she was resisting.

"Saving you." I grunted, tugging her forward.

"You're ruining my good time!" She insisted.

"You'll thank me for it later." I pressed, more or less dragging her out of the common room.

"No I won't!" Lily whined. "I want to go dance!" She screamed and stomped her feet, all the while flailing her bound up arms in attempt to get away from us. "Let me go! I don't want to leave!"

"Yeah? Well we didn't want to see you half naked either. When you start to consider our feelings, we'll consider yours." I yelled _much _louder than necessary since we were finally away from all of the noise.

Lily's face scrunched up and she fell to the floor, weeping. "You hate me!" She cried, large tears falling from her even larger eyes.

Ugh. Drunk girls and their unstable emotions.

"Maybe if you didn't act like that git brother of yours we wouldn't hate you so much!" Matilda chimed in. "He walks around all high and mighty. "Oh look at me, I'm Harry Potter's son. Wank. Wank. Wank. Wank." She mocked, a stupid expression on her face, her hand moving up and down as if she were _wanking._

"Fuck off Flint!" Like a raging ninja, Lily hopped from her bum to her feet. "I will destroy you." She lunged towards Matilda.

I did not sign up for this shit!

I was so very tempted to just let them have a go at each other, but I knew if I did I would catch hell for it. So instead, I stepped in between them.

"Hold the fuck up." I stretched my arms out and rolled my neck as I looked between them. "You aren't destroying anyone, and you, you, go get me a brew, because I am not drunk enough to deal with this shit!" I snapped.

Without a word, Matilda turned turned to walk away and Lily was yet again reduced to tears.

"I just have so many feelings." She cried and slumped against a wall.

"They'll go away. How much have you had to drink?" I asked, urging her forward.

"I 'unno." She slurred. seeming to have exhausted all of her energy, or -

"_FLUUUUUUUH."_

How did I know that she was about to yack?

I made a face, stepped over her puddle of vomit, and helped her into the bathroom. "I reckon you still know how to undress yourself." I stated as I bent over the tub and turned the water on. Lily nodded and stumbled forward.

"I'm going to get you some clothes. Don't leave." I warned, though I could tell she had no plans of going anywhere. I was starting to feel motherly and it was quite disgusting.

I hurried out of the bath and into my dorm room. I had managed to get most of my unpacking done during my free periods earlier that day, so all of my stuff was pretty well organized.

Of course it would only take a weeks time for it to be jumbled again.

I was pulling a pair of flannel pajama pants out of my dresser when I saw Matilda's reflection in the mirror in front of me, her arms full of bottles.

"I got you two bottles of Batberry." She said meekly. "I got Lily some water and a few slices of rye and cheese, too."

I quickly spun around to see that there were tears streaming down her face, Much like Lily, Matilda wasn't the type of person to easily succumb to sadness, so I knew this was most likely ridiculous and alcohol induced.

I took the contents from her arms and popped open one of the bottles of Batberry and took a long, hearty swig of it.

Again, I wasn't drunk enough for this.

"What's wrong?" I finally asked, surprised that, by the look on her face, she didn't want to talk about it.

"Did Albus do something?"

She shook her head no and wiped her eyes. "The She-Devil. Dense, leggy, grr..." Her voice trailed off.

"Is she goin' after that bloke you fancy?" I had no idea why I was asking; I already knew the answer. She didn't bring up another females' looks unless they walked on her _territory. _

She nodded.

"Look, I know you like him, but if he is willing to give a girl like that attention, he isn't worth your time." And, oh, I don't know, you have only known him for.. eight hours?

As much as I wanted what I said to be the truth, it wasn't. Yeah. Gael was a piece of work and I couldn't stand her; but she _was_ annoyingly good looking.

She had a perfect body, her legs went on for days, her long dark hair was really shiny and always straightened to perfection. Her skin was flawless and tan (I couldn't really envy the latter; my skin was naturally a light mocha, whereas her skin was probably the result of some sort of tanning charm. I hoped it was, that is).

Every bloke in Hogwarts had probably wanked it to thoughts of her at least once.

If we blew off all the guys that fancied her, even in the smallest, shallowest degree, there wouldn't be any blokes left.

"Whatever. I just want to go to sleep, okay?" Matilda sulked and walked over to her bed.

"That's fine.." I said, tiptoeing to my four-poster. "Have you seen Lucy?" I asked. I could use her help in dealing with Lily.

"Not that it's my day to keep up with her -" Matilda began rudely. "But she was here earlier looking for you. She raided the firewhiskey and left when she couldn't find you."

I rolled my eyes, grabbed my pillow, and headed back to the bathroom without saying anything back to Matty.

Lily was still alive and conscious when I returned. Thank Merlin. I have no idea how my family would feel if I let a Potter drown. I force fed her the rye and cheese, which seemed to help sober her up enough to realize that she had put on a strip show for a group of sixth and seventh years from different houses.

She demanded silence through all of this, so I sat on the ground, drinking room temperature Batberry, as I stared idly at the photo of Liam I had stowed away in my pillow.

His black curly mop of hair was swaying against the wind as he smiled and winked for the camera.

He had one of the most contagious smiles, really. Even right now, with him miles and miles away and only seeing it through a photo, I was smiling.

This wasn't the relaxing night I had planned; despite the fiascoes, it was even better.

* * *

**A/N: There you have it! Chapter 5. I had fun writing this one, so hopefully it was just as fun to read. Chapter 6 is almost finished. I was going to wait until it was done so I could post them at the same time, to give you more to read at once - but I have come to a bit of an issue in writing it. I think you will understand why, exactly, when you read it. **

**Anyways, thanks for the reviews you guys have given me and please, feel free to leave more! I like hearing what you guys think! **


	6. LiYum

And so my life repeated itself each passing day in more or less the same manner.

My wand was a legitimate threat to society, still yet headmaster Slughorn refused to let me trade it in, even after Professor Charming and Professor Teddy all but begged him to do so. More spells backfired than not, it ruined most of my potions, turned simple harmless charms lethal, and had as much magical ability as a bloody squib.

"_In my professional experience, it sometimes takes a wand sometime before it warms to it's owner."_

Meanwhile, my social life continued to be nonexistent. The list of who I _wasn't _avoiding was shorter than the list of who I was. Thus, I spent most of my time hiding in my dorm. Matilda and I kept the same dinner schedule; making it that we roughly had twenty minutes or so to _talk. _Luckily, Matilda was feeling scorned and our conversations were one-sided. If she wasn't talking about how much of a bitch Gael Warrington was, she was picking apart the bloke who she caught fraternizing with her. I still hadn't caught his name. Though it was irrelevant now, because, other than being a little sore that the Slyther-cunt won his attention, Matty was over him within a few days; and was apparently plotting revenge in the form of Morrison Bletchley – the Antichrist's ex boyfriend.

Lucy stayed pretty distracted by professor Charming, which was quite unfortunate given that she was one of the few people I wasn't avoiding.

Detention got more and more awkward as the days passed on. Despite the fact that I had seen Lorcan's half nude, sweat covered body once, every time he removed his shirt I found myself gawking at him, mentally raving on about how good looking he turned out to be; but nonetheless reminding myself that he was still _Lorcan Scamander. _Whatever _that _meant.

Truth be told – Lorcan was climbing the social ladder – and not so he could just jump off of it and commit suicide either. Apparently being dubbed a drug dealer had its perks. Like popularity for instance. Albus had taken him under his wing, adding another person to my _list ofpeople to avoid_.

Avoiding all of these people was getting tedious. Especially since Albus had thrown some kind of social gathering every bloody night since school started back. At this point, it wouldn't surprise me if Salazar Slytherin was having a seizure in his grave.

Like I said, I spent a lot of my time in my dorm room, because most of these parties occurred in the dungeons.

With the constant supply of alcohol, Hogwarts was like a warmer, lonelier version of Athchoir.

Yes, I sat in my room drinking by myself. I just... I don't know.. I felt so out of place at Hogwarts. Like I didn't belong or something. I'm not sure how much of _that _feeling was associated with Liam, but I knew it had something to do with him. Which sickened me. Why did I care? I didn't want to _care_. Or feel this annoyingly warm pull in my guts every time I thought about him, which is half of what initially drove me into being so bloody antisocial.

I didn't want to talk about Athchoir because Athchoir made me think about Liam, and for the love of Merlin's mother, I already thought about Liam Kavanagh enough.

The other reason for my behavior was more important, but – currently – less annoying. I needed to stay out of trouble, no ifs ands or buts about it.

**Saturday, about two weeks later:**

I stretched and gazed at the ceiling, letting myself enjoy those final few seconds of serenity before reality completely set in. I managed to sleep in for the first time in two weeks and, from the look of things, I was even lucky enough to wake up to an empty dorm room.

I had detention in - I glanced at the enchanted alarm clock beside my bed; **10:30 **- thirty minutes. I grimaced.

Sitting up, I could see that there were two owls sitting on my side of the underground windowsill.

-

_Rox,_

_Sorry I couldn't make it to see you off to school. I'm counting on Christmas though. Anyways. Here are some galleons and that picture of the beach I promised you ages ago._

_Love ya,_

_Fred #09 Weasley_

Poor Fred. I don't think he'll ever understand that his jersey number isn't his middle name. Good thing that what he lacked in brains he made up in quidditch skill.

Putting the money that he sent me inside of my nightstand, I stared at the picture in awe of its beauty as the waves crashed against the shore before a gorgeous sunset.

I was supposed to spend the summer in California with Fred; seeing the picture made me kind of depressed that I didn't get to.

It looked so warm there.

With a sigh I sat the picture on my nightstand and grabbed the second scroll of parchment; _Weasley, Roxanne_ written across it in a familiar messy script.

_Ms. Weasley,_

_Due to the storms this morning and the ones that are expected this afternoon, your 11AM detention with Professor Hagrid has been cancelled._

_I suggest you take this time as an opportunity to tend to your studies,_

_Headmaster Slughorn_

I literally jumped for joy after reading the parchment and quickly reread it just to make sure I hadn't been mistaken.

And I hadn't. It was real, detention was cancelled!

I had no idea why this made me so happy – I knew I would just have to make the hours up later.

I was smiling like I had just caught a snitch during a match against Gryffindor until I realized that – without detention – I didn't have a legitimate excuse to be antisocial.

"Bollocks." I huffed. But I wasn't ready to meet defeat.

No one has to know that I _don't _have detention... In fact, I do. It's just been pushed back an hour...

* * * * * * * * *

I had been submerged in a bubble bath sipping Batberry long enough to prune up before I heard footsteps coming towards the door of the bath.

"It's occupied." I called out quickly, but the footsteps did not cease and within the blink of an eye the door was swinging open.

"Are you deaf?" I barked. "Oh." It was Lucy and Matilda, which was a very unlikely pair unless I was around. I noticed rather quickly that Matilda was sopping wet while Lucy on the other hand was completely dry. "What are you two doing?" I asked.

"Hanging out." Matilda replied, making herself at home on the side of the tub, while Lucy leaned against the wall, her arms folded.

I found that _highly _unlikely.

"Aren't you late for detention?" Matty asked nonchalantly.

I shook my head. "No, it got pushed back an hour." I lied.

"So you're soaking in the tub _before _you go wallow around in the mud?" Her question sounded more like a statement. "That doesn't make much sense."

"It would make perfect sense if you were in my shoes." I replied coolly, taking the last swig of my Batberry. "I'm sore in places I didn't even know existed."

"And alcohol eases the pain?" Matilda asked. "Or does it ease your emotional pain?" She was looking at me like she had just caught me doing something horrible.

I was looking at her like she was stupid. "What are you on about?"

"Oh don't play stupid!" Matty exclaimed. "You have gotten drunk everyday since we got back! You obviously have a bad problem!"

"Are you-" Pointing at her I threw my head back and laughed. "- really accusing me of being an alcoholic right now?"

I composed myself a bit. "Matty, you have been drinking just as much as I have."

"Yeah, in public, around people. You sit in here or in our room alone. That's what alcoholics do - and that's why Lucy and I are here. To help you!"

I shook my head. "Lucy, you don't.. _agree _with her, do you?"

Lucy promptly rolled her eyes and shook her head. "No, I don't. But -" She paused and made a face. "You have been out of the loop lately... and that's really saying something coming from me." And it was. Lucy hated 9 out of 10 people that she met and she wasn't social at all – but still hung out with her friends and went to parties.

"I've just been busy." I defended.

"With detention?" Matilda butted in. "You're lying."

First off, I hated being called a liar, even when I was lying. So I put on my best 'oh no you didn't' face and glared at her. A bit hypocritical all around, but whatever.

"Oh yeah? D'you go ask Hagrid to be sure?!" I snapped. "You really don't trust me _that _much!?"

"Actually, Scamander told me." Matilda said, as if she had me backed into a corner with no escape.

She kind of did. I had momentarily forgotten about Albus befriending Lorcan.

I looked away from Lucy and Matilda and grabbed my towel, trying to put it around myself without soaking it or exposing myself.

"Is it Lorcan?" - "Is it Liam?" Matilda and Lucy said in unison.

Finally standing, I wrapped my towel around my chest and looked between the two of them nearly dumbfounded, as they looked at each in almost the same fashion.

"Liam?" Matilda repeated.

Hearing his name was like a dagger through the heart.  
I wanted to cry.

Lucy looked from Matty, to me, and back again. "I mean Liam? What? My random names tourettes must be kicking in again." She nodded seriously.

"Who is Liam? Are you talking about _my _Liam? Rox, how could you? You said he was a sleazeball for going after the She-Devil!"

I was so consumed by emotions that I allowed myself to. I was frustrated, and annoyed, and sad, and tired, and sore, and starving, and just going completely mental. Tears built up in my eyes and overflowed onto my cheeks while Matilda continued to go on and on about _her _Liam.

Her Liam this, her Liam that.

"All this time, you were just going after him yourself! Don't you cry! That's just like you. You are so selfish-"

"OH, shut the hell up, it isn't _your _Liam, you _twat_. This guy goes to the school she was sent off to!" Lucy shouted.

Oh I love Lucy. A smile forced the dreadful cry-grimace away and I chuckled quietly, tears still flowing but not as harshly.

If Matilda had a tail, it would be between her legs right now.

I wiped my eyes and stepped out of the tub as if that little break down didn't just happen.

"It's him, isn't it?" Lucy asked. Matilda looked offended and completely left out of the conversation. "You miss him don't you?"

"Who is _he_?" Matilda asked, she almost sounded desperate.

I stepped between the two of them without saying a word.

"Roxy, you can't avoid this forever." Lucy chirped. "Neither of us will let you."

"This conversation is going to be awkward enough." I looked over my shoulder. "So I'd rather not have it naked."

* * * * * * * * *

"I swear, I never thought I would see the day that you, of all people would be so crossed over someone." Matilda was obviously just as shocked as I was. "I reckoned Albus would settle down before you."

"That's taking it a bit far, don't ya think?" I replied, sliding Liam's green and silver striped sweater over my t-shirt.

So I had _the talk _with them about Liam, and much to my surprise, it felt really good to say all of it outloud. I didn't even gag, which was brilliant since I had been convinced that I would vomit if I owned up to any of it.

It was almost like a weight was lifted off of my shoulders.

"How? You don't like _anyone._" She raised her brow.

I furrowed mine – "I s'pose that would make settling down a little more difficult than liking _everyone_." Which was Albus' case.

"Sucks that his name has to be Liam." Matilda grimaced.

"Well I knew it bound to happen." Lucy smiled. "I knew you liked him more than you let on."

"That might be true, but I think you're forgetting one tiny little detail." I began, leading both of them out of my dorm room. "We're not together."

"And he's in Ireland." Matilda pointed out, as if I had somehow forgotten.

"Exactly." I nodded.

"So?" Lucy shrugged. "The bloke I like is inappropriately older than I am. It's just an obstacle to get through. It doesn't mean that it's impossible."

"And who might this older man be?" Matilda asked condescendingly.

"Your father." Lucy flashed a smile. Matty rolled her eyes.

"I appreciate the support, Lu. But you don't have to lie to make me feel better about it. He's there, I'm here. We'll never see each other again." I shrugged, a lump growing in my throat. "I've accepted it."

"You don't know that for sure." Lucy defended. "You could run into him when you're married, it could be one of those tragic love stories. Your family gets torn apart, people off themselves, but you two end up together, happy and in love." The weirdest part of her entire statement was that she was being completely serious.

"I hope you do." Said Matilda. "I want to know what he looks like!"

"History has just been made." Lucy began. Matty and I looked at her, confused. "Because I actually agree with something Flint said." We all got a bit of a laugh out of it. Lucy and Matilda had a relationship that was based solely on the fact that they were both friends of mine. They spent most of their time trying to piss to piss each other off.

"I have a picture of him." I admitted. They both suddenly looked like they could kill me.

"Show us!" They said together.

"It's back in my room. I'll show you after we eat." I explained.

"You and your stomach." Matilda scoffed. Lucy made no comment because she too inherited the f_orever hungry Weasley gene_.

"So what about Lorcan?" Lucy asked out of nowhere. "How has detention been with him?"

"Awkward..." I cleared my throat, debating on making the comment I wanted so badly to sputter out.

We had finally arrived inside of the great hall and the three of us made our way to the Slytherin table, which was, surprisingly quite vacant. The best thing about the weekends – other than the obvious, being that their are no classes – is that, for two whole days, we weren't segregated by which house we were in.

"Can I just make a statement about him without being judged?" I asked as I sat down in my usual spot.

"You shagged him?" Lucy laughed.

"That's a confession, not a statement." Matilda was actively trying to annoy Lucy as she always did.

And as always, Lucy wasn't fazed. How could she be when _Molly _was her sister?

"Whatever. Did you?" Lucy pressed.

"No, we've been through this already. I did not have sexual relations with Lorcan Scamander." I sniggered. "But-" I paused and leaned in towards them, a look of horror on my face. "- he has gotten... _hot_!" I admitted. "He's been prancing around the forbidden forest half naked during detention -" I shook my head. "- I'm telling you, his body, it's a bit fuckin' ridiculous."

Neither of them seemed to buy it though. They stared at me much like I stare at people when they say something foolish.

"Oh, it looks like the match finally ended." Matilda changed the subject. She was probably questioning our friendship.

"What match?" I asked as I eyed the entrance; large groups of students were filing through it.

"Just a random preseason match, blokes only." She rolled her eyes. "I was out for a bit of it, but then the rain came in." She explained; which also explained why she was drenched earlier.

I made a disapproving face; I still wasn't over the fact that I wasn't allowed to play this year, not to mention the fact that the Antichrist had taken _**my**_ position as seeker; or that my broom was locked up in my parents' closet, collecting dust.

In walked Rose and Scorpius; they headed straight for the Slytherin table, a very drenched Lily following behind them with her hood pulled over her head. She was still trying to keep a low profile after the drunken stripping incident. Surprisingly, it wasn't big gossip around the school. Probably because no one wanted to face the wrath of her older brothers. James might have been graduated - but that wouldn't stop him from trespassing to kill someone.

I couldn't see Albus yet, but I knew he was coming; I could hear him shouting profanities down the hallway. I wasn't sure if they were shouts of joy or anger.

When I finally took my eyes off of the entrance I noticed how much of the table that had already been filled in; Rose and Scorpius sat side by side about four spaces down from my left, and Lily had taken the empty seat beside Lucy, who was to my right. Oliviana Davies sat across the table next to Matilda, who quickly told her to scoot down a seat once she saw Morrison Bletchley making his way inside of the great hall.

"Bletchley! I saved you a seat." Matilda called out. Though much to her dismay he took the empty space between she and Liv, instead of the one directly in front of me. They both immediately began fighting for his attention and simultaneously lost _mine. _

I looked up just in time to see Lysander Scamander walking through the double doors with a group of his Gryffindor friends; naturally Lorcan was only a few paces behind, though, unnaturally, he too had a group of people surrounding him.

It was so weird to see him around other people. He had always been such an introvert.

My heart rate started to pick up as I watched Lysander continue to the Gryffindor table, while Lorcan on the other hand bypassed Ravenclaw's entirely and headed toward Slytherin's, his group of new friends following.

That's just bloody great.

This was more than likely Albus' doings, so odds were, Lorcan was going to sit with him, which meant he would be much closer to me than I cared for him to be at the present time.

Beyond that, and the possibility that Albus might call one of us out about the snog, I wasn't too worried about it. After all, I had been spending loads of time not talking to him in detention. Surely it wouldn't be much of a task at a crowded table.

And if Albus did decide to out us, I would simply put Lorcan's life on the line and use my twig to diffendo his shirt to shreds so everyone could see what he's got hiding under there and I wouldn't be judged as harshly for snogging him.

I kept my eyes on Lorcan, though I didn't really _see _him. So much thought was going through my mind... I didn't even notice Albus' loud arrival to the great hall until I felt Lucy's elbow jab into my right side.

"YOU WANT TO BE ME BUT YOU CAN'T BE ME!" I heard Albus sing as I looked sideways at Lucy, whose eyes were big and threatening.

"Rox, could you make it _less _obvious when you are eye fucking someone?!" She whispered fiercely.

"I wasn't eye fucking him!" I defended loudly. Matilda looked from Morrison Bletchley to me, giving me a face that said 'ew' before going back to smiling at the male beside her.

"I'VE GOT BLUDGERS FOR BALLS! YA CAN TAKE A BAT TO EM BUT THEY'LL JUST COME BACK A-SWINGING!" Albus shouted; he was much closer this time.

Sometimes, I really wondered what in the actual fuck, was wrong with him.

I glanced away from Lucy to see the Antichrist (Gael Warrington) take a seat on the opposite side of the table in front of Rose, followed by Albus, who sat down beside her and directly in front of Scorpius, followed by someone else who I wasn't paying attention to because I was too busy scrutinizing Gael and Albus.

What a sodding git, sitting next to _her_.  
I made an unapproving face that made me look constipated. I knew I looked constipated, because _someone_ decided to just lay it out on the table.

"Oi! Don't you look clogged up! Not used to eatin' real food yet, are ya? Had the opposite effect on me. I've nearly shat myself 27 times since bein' here!" A _**very**_ familiar _Irish_ voice called out.

_Impossible. It couldn't be... _

I nearly snapped my neck with the speed and force that I used to whip my head towards the voice, which had come from directly in front of me...

LKFKDFJLdshfdskjfhshdskjJHkj dLDSFJKLSKLJ*^y8i&U8OITEAKHLFDSFJLkhfkjhklHkjF GUIDFSFY8Iuy^yGHjGFUIETFYIRSU YFHDSIGUSIDYFS

And...  
KLHKJHKHioyT8IHU8y8hIUT G*I TguhkL uG UGhGhgHjghG!huI Y^U&%$^ #$%^YUKH *IHJHKLKJL KIY&^^YTJHHJGK!

Oh, let's not forget, kdslhfkldsklfjdklfjdskljklJI LUhdklsfjskljIO^76897uhki^dfkhskl.

What are words?

How do I talk?

OH MY FUCK.

IS THIS REAL LIFE?

Remember how I stared at Lorcan in the forbidden forest? You know, with that open-mouth, bug-eyed creepy stare? Yeah, I was doing that again, but it was worse. Much, much, worse.

For the last three, no, four, weeks, I wanted nothing more than to see Liam, and now that he was sitting right in front of me - I had no bloody idea what to say! Or how to act. On top of that, my stomach felt weird. Like there was something flapping about inside of it... like a bat, or multiple bats, or maybe even a bloody hippogriff. I don't know, okay? It just felt really strange.

What was he even doing here?! He was supposed to be in Ireland at Athchoir. Not here in Scotland at Hogwarts!

I suddenly started to regret the fact that I had admitted my feelings towards him, whatever the toss they were.

And - oh sweet baby Merlin, the ONE day that I wear _his _bloody sweater, I run into him - in the _last _place I would have expected to find him!

He was looking at me, and he appeared to be quite confused, his dark straight brows furrowed together, gorgeous green eyes narrowed.

Now would probably be a good time to say something.

"... Liam?!" Was all that I could get out, my face horribly screwed up.  
I went from looking constipated to looking like I had shit myself in only a matter of seconds.

I didn't notice it, but Matilda was glaring between the two of us, her face was contorted as mine.

"Rox?!" Liam replied, a big, sarcastically shocked smile on his lips. "S'about time I ran into ya! Been tryin' to find ya since I got here." He explained as he started loading food onto his plate.

"W-what are you doing here?" I asked stupidly. I should have known I would get a stupid answer.

"'Bout to ingest a bunch of food to contribute to my diarrhea." He replied easily. "And I reckon you're about to make your plumbing a little more backed up, yeah?"

I laughed and shook my head. "I'm not constipated. ER."

And for the second time, Lucy's elbow was being probed into my ribcage.

Thank Merlin for Lucy, always saving me from making a _complete _fool out of myself.

"Uh, Liam, this is my cousin Lucy." I introduced. "Lucy, this is my.. erm, this is Liam."

"Li-yum!" Lucy nearly squealed.

To be Percy Weasley's daughter, Lucy had little to no shame for her ridiculously random outbursts.

"It's nice to meet you." She smiled.

Wow... No inappropriate comment?

"Even though you just ruined a perfectly good pair of underwear."

There it was. I could feel my face heating up and I was inwardly thanking the complexion Gods that I had been born half black.

Liam looked proud but made no comment to the latter of her statement. "Likewise. Ol Roxy told me all about you."

"It's all completely true." Lucy scrunched her nose up and grinned. However the grin quickly turned into a smirk as her eyes shifted to Matilda, who looked as though she smelled something rancid. "What's the matter? Did you finally catch a whiff of your upper lip?"

"Piss off, Lucy!" Matilda gritted her teeth and shifted her eyes to the side of Liam's face, glaring at it as if she were trying to make his head explode.

This caught Liam's attention and he too looked at Matilda. "Who're you?" He asked carelessly, his mouth so full of food that his words were hardly understandable.

I had known Matty for a long time - and I had never seen her look so mad. Not even at Albus and he pissed her off all day everyday.

How in the Hell did Liam manage to do it so easily?

"I can't believe you, Roxanne!" Matilda huffed and without another word, got up and stomped out of the great hall.

"What is her bloody problem?!" I groaned as I watched her leave.

"Key word is probably bloody." Lucy shrugged. "She's a stereotypical female with a bad case of PMS. And-" Lucy paused and leaned in towards me, a playful smile on her lips. "- she's probably got a bad case of the little green monster. Jealous 'cause _your _Liam didn't abandon you for the Slyther-cunt."

And that's when it hit me.  
_Her _Liam was _my _Liam.

He had to be. Why else would she have gotten so upset of him _not_ knowing who she was?

That meant...

"C'mon, Alby . Switch places with Liam." Gael Warrington chimed and batted her long lashes at Albus.

I gagged. _Alby_? _**Really?**_

"I saw him first, Warrington. Back off." Albus replied as he winked at Liam.

_Actually, I saw him first._

"He has a point." Liam put his arm around Albus' shoulder. "He did see me first."

"Ya see that? He's mine." Albus smirked.

Gael rolled her eyes (and I desperately wanted them to get stuck that way. Sadly they didn't). "I beg to differ. I am much better looking than you are. Anyone who picks you over me is a fool." She mirrored his smirk.

"No need to fight over me. There's more than enough to go around." Liam joined in on the smirk fest. I was close to yacking up the Batberry I had drank earlier.

"Then tell Alby to switch places with you!" Gael whined.

I had been watching this entire ordeal, but it wasn't until Gael made _that_ comment that Liam decided to look back at me, to acknowledge the fact that I was still sitting _right _bloody in front of him.

And that was all that he did - looked at me, and without a word or even a simple gesture, he turned his attention back to Albus.

"D'you mind?" Liam asked.

"Not if you insist. But if you two start actin' disgustin' again, someone is gonna get their balls charmed to their forehead. I already lost one friend to the evil that is woman." Said Albus.

"Cheers, mate." Scorpius tossed a biscuit at Albus' face, while Rose shot him a very dirty glance.

"S'not a compliment." Albus said as he stood up, allowing Liam to take his seat, while he sat down in front of me.

"Oi! Roxanne! I didn't even know you were here!" Albus exclaimed. There was a look in his eye that told me that I should be worried - but I wasn't quite sure why...

I didn't say anything back. I was still in so much shock that I probably wouldn't have much sense anyways.

He looked away from me and scanned the table. "Ay, Doctor Feelgood, get yer arse down here!" Albus waved his hand in the air, summoning someone to join him.

Normally I would have been more than interested to see who Albus was calling by such an elaborate nickname, but I was too busy trying to wrap my head around what had just happened; Did Liam really just... brush me off for the bloody Antichrist?!

I watched from where I sat as Gael batted her stupid, dark, magically lengthened eyelashes at Liam - who was eating up her _charm_ like a starving homeless man. Grinning and laughing and flirting with her. Like they were the oldest of friends. Or worse - like he _liked _her.

It didn't make any sense. Liam _loathed _people like Gael Warrington.

And what did Gael want with _him _of all people? He was a muggleborn. She broke up with Morrison Bletchley - her trained lapdog of five years - because his _younger brother _ended up being a bloody squib! Not to mention the fact that he, Liam, was a complete underachiever who spent the last six years in a sodding reform school! He got Trolls on 11 out of 12 of his O.W.L.S!

Yeah,I know it's weird that I cared enough to let that stick to my long term memory. Piss off.

I'm not calling him stupid or anything. I mean, obviously he was intelligent; he ended up in Ravenclaw for a reason. But... he wasn't Gael's type.

"Rox!" For the third time I felt Lucy's elbow jab into me and I slowly turned my head to look at her.

"What the fuck is he playing at?" She whispered in disbelief, a look of sympathy on usually happy her face.

All I could do was shrug.

"S'about time!" I heard Albus say - and from my left peripheral I could see a figure about to take a seat beside me.

Like an idiot, I glanced up to see who it was.

Lorcan bloody Scamander.

Shaking my head I pressed my fingertips against my forehead and lowered it, almost sulking on the spot.

"All right." Albus announced; I was sure he had caught loads of people's attention. He had mine, but I wasn't looking at him, rather the inside of my eyelids. "As you all know my skills in the art of matchmakin' are bloody fantastic. Just look at Rose and Scorpius!"

"You didn't set us up, Albus!" Rose spat. "You almost started crying when Scorpius told you we were dating! And then you begged him to break up with me!"

"Fine - just look at Liam and Gael then!" Albus said as he threw his arm around Liam's shoulder.  
It was at _that, _that I opened my eyes and looked up.

Liam looked slightly uncomfortable but was smiling nonetheless, while Gael was sitting beside him smirking, twirling a strand of her long shiny hair around her long bony finger.

"You just said you didn't want them together, you git!" Rose snapped.

Albus rolled his eyes. "You're not helping my case, Weasley. The point I am trying to get at is -" Albus paused and glanced at me and then Lorcan. "- you two are obviously madly in love with each other. Rox here hasn't left her room since being here because of it. Not even for the parties I've thrown - and we all know how much you love parties Rox." Albus nodded. I could see Liam making a sarcastic face from the corner of my eye but I wasn't going to dignify it by actually looking at it or reacting to it.

My heart was in my throat.

Or maybe that was vomit...

"You can deny it until the day hippogriffs fly, if ya want-"

"Hippogriffs _do _fly, you idiot!" Rose butted in.

"- but I know the truth!" Albus ignored her and waved his wand around, conjuring - I glanced upwards - mistletoe. "Now, _kiss_!" He waved his wand again and suddenly my side was mashed against Lorcan's.

"Mate, what are you playing at?! That shit has Nargles in it!" Lorcan flailed his arms above his head. The table erupted with laughter.

I opened my eyes - which had been forced shut due to the overwhelming amount of rubbish emotion that I had been stricken with - and they met with Liam's.

With a look of disgust he rolled his eyes and looked away.

And for the first time in my life, I wasn't hungry.

* * *

**A/N: Woah! Okay so that was a pretty long chapter - and I hope now you guys understand why it was so difficult to finish. With a show of hands, who all thinks Liam is a twat?! I know I do right now! But I promise, he isn't THAT bad. Honestly, I don't even know what else to say about it right now. **

**Please review! Tell me how you feel. Good, bad, indifferent! By the way, thanks for the reviews you guys have sent in so far. I love hearing from you. It gives me major inspiration to write! **

***On another note - I went back through and looked at earlier chapters and noticed a few typos and errors. Sorry about those. I should probably stop updating at odd hours. So if you see any here. Er, sorry.**

**Anyways. I'll submit this now. **

**xx**

**writinghigh**


	7. LiYuck

If it weren't for my pride, I probably would have ran screaming out of the great hall; because the last five minutes of my life had been more traumatizing than that time I walked in on my mum and dad shagging.

My apatite was shot: Honestly, I was surprised I hadn't puked all over the table. Had Albus' little stunt not been enough to turn my stomach, the sight of Liam and Gael being all chummy and flirty towards one another certainly was.

Still yet I remained in my seat, sandwiched between Lucy and Lorcan, picking at the food that I had no intention of eating.

Thankfully having the attention span of a gnat ran in the family, so after Scamander started to flip out over the Nargles in the mistletoe, my dear cousin lost all interest in trying to play matchmaker.  
Albus was thoroughly distracted, chatting Lorcan up about his _special plants. _I wasn't paying much attention to either of them though. I only knew they were talking about them because the volume of my cousin's voice could wake the bloody dead.

"So tell me more 'bout this Mariganah!" I heard Albus say. Lorcan quickly hushed him.

"It's called Marijuana, mate."

So it was safe to assume that everyone in the sodding school was now under the influence that I was, not only a pyromaniac with homicidal tendencies, specifically asphyxiation, since I had nearly offed Lucy, but that I was also madly in love with Lorcan Scamander.

Brilliant.

Every now and again I could feel Lucy's eyes scrutinize the side of my face. I knew she was trying to catch my attention by doing so - and she had every time - but I was too embarrassed to make eye contact.

Had I not fessed up to my feelings, or whatever, for Liam less than an hour ago, I could have easily pretended like I didn't give a toss that he blew me off for the Antichrist.

If I did it now, though, Lucy would know that I was full of it. So I thought it best not to say anything at all.

If only I could turn back time and undo my confession...

Remind me to thank Uncle Harry for destroying all of the time turners back back in his day.

What felt like hours later, the commotion at the Slytherin table had died down and many of its occupants had left, including Liam and the Antichrist, who had exited the great hall with their arms linked together, Gael's perfect silky hair blowing behind her like on those muggle shampoo commercials.

Seriously, Merlin?

Wasn't it enough that she had _my _spot as seeker? Or that she was ridiculously pretty, and unnecessarily wealthy?

Why did she have to get Liam too?

I found myself wishing that she would catch Dragon Pox and that all of her hair would fall out; I made a mental note to check the restricted section of the library for books on voodoo magic so I could attempt to make both of those things happen... However, I then remembered (and I have no idea how I forgot in the first place), that my wand was a right foul piece of rubbish. The spells would probably backfire, leaving me bald and covered with strange growths, so I just as easily erased that mental note and all plans and hopes of revenge and went back to my normal life.

Wallowing in self pity.

Alone. In the bathroom. With a bottle of Batberry.

"OH MY GLOB! TROLL IN THE DUNGEONS!" Lucy screamed, pounding on the door. "MAYDAY. MAYDAY. THEY'RE EVACUATING THE CASTLE!"

Lucy had been trying, for the better part of an hour, to get me to unlock the bathroom door. However, her attempts were in vain. There was no way I could stand to allow happy-go-lucky Lucy look at me with sad judge-y eyes.

I refused to let her, or anyone else, see me in this condition: All gloomy and pathetic, pining over a bloke who thought that the Antichrist was worth the time of day.

Yeah, I know I brushed it off when it happened to Matilda, but this was different! It was _my _Liam! Okay, so it had been my Liam all along.. but still, the circumstances were different now.

"ROX, DID IT EAT YOU?!" She called out after a few seconds of silence.

I ignored her.

"Did what eat her?" I heard Albus say.

"The troll that's in the dungeons!" I could almost see Lucy knocking her elbow into Albus' ribs. Elbow jabbing was her specialty.

"OW- Oh, yeah... scary bastard it is! Ay Rox, come on out, Lorcan's here."

And again, I could see Lucy's elbow socking him. "No offence to you Lorcan, but that isn't going to get her to come out of there."

"Get who to come out of where?" Said a third voice that I knew belonged to Liam.

"Rox locked herself in the loo-OW. Bleedin' hell, Lucy! Watch those lethal elbows of yours!" Albus groaned.

"It's none of _his _business!" Lucy hissed.

"Why did she lock herself in there?" Liam asked.

"Didn't I just say that it was none of _yer_business?!" Lucy mocked.

"Did you try Alohomora?" Albus was obviously asking for a Lucy Weasley smack down.

"No, I've just been standing out here banging on the door for an hour for the fun if it." Lucy rolled her eyes. "Of course I did, you git. It didn't work."

I guess my wand was capable of doing something right, since the spell I had used to lock the door wouldn't submit to the unlocking charm.

I would probably be left to die in here.

Become Reject Roxy.

I would say that I would become Moaning Myrtle's best friend, that we could haunt the loos and swim in the sewage systems together - but I'm a reject. Even Myrtle wouldn't have me.

"What didn't work?" The new female voice made my skin crawl. It was Gael Warrington's.

"Alohomora. Rox locked hers- OW!" Albus groaned again.

"It's definitely none of _her _concern either." Lucy scowled. "It's her bloody fault!"

"Awe." Gael said sweetly. "Weasley must be upset that I took her place as seeker - Rox, darling -"

"Oh, to hell with this!" I picked up my wand and forcefully pointed it at the door without thinking of potential consequences. "SILENCIO!" I bellowed.

Lucy's P.O.V

Albus wrapped his hands around his neck, a look of sheer terror on his face as he flapped his big mouth open and shut, trying to produce words.

"I'm choking! I'M CHOKING!" He mouthed.

I promptly rolled my eyes and swatted the back of his head with the back of my hand.

Whipping my wand around in the air, smoke coiling from the tip, I slowly spelled out and mouthed "You are not choking, you twat. She silenced us." With a charm that Elias had taught me.

Seriously, you would think that the bloody _chosen one_would have children who aren't mentally deficient.

Clearly half of Albus' brain ran down aunt Gin's leg.

Liam and the Slyther-Cunt gawked at each other, then at Albus and me, their mouths moving, but unable to produce any sound.

"Um.. guys.." Lorcan spoke up.

Wait - how in the hell? All four of us jerked our heads around to look at him. How had he not lost his voice?

"The charm that Roxanne used should have worn off by now..." He said meekly, shifting his eyes around to each of our faces.

Enchanted dung! I cocked my head to the side, my brows furrowed so closely together that it probably looked like I was straining to fart.

Rox was right... Lorcan did get hot.

_I wonder if he got that snaggle tooth fixed._

Ugh, not now; but I did make a mental note to check his smile out later.

"It's only supposed to last for a few seconds.. Ten tops."

I noticed Liam giving Lorcan a dirty look and I made another mental note to fart in his general direction at my earliest convenience.

I didn't even like Lorcan that much but I decided that everything that this curly haired wanker did from here on out was going to piss me off.

You dick one Weasley around, you face the wrath of them all.

"What should we do?" I spelled out with my wand.

Lorcan tensed his shoulders into a shrug. "I-I would go see Professor McLaggen." He replied nervously.

Brilliant bastard! Of course! Elias would know exactly how to take care of this.

I smiled at Lorcan, gave Liam and Gael the stink eye, rolled my eyes at Albus, who was still holding his neck, and quickly brushed past them; though, the sound of footsteps shuffling behind me let me know that at least three out of four of them were following me.

I checked my appearance on every shiny thing that I saw between the dungeons and the charms classroom. What? I had to make sure I looked good for him.

I knocked once, twice, three times for good measure before opening the door and letting myself in.

Elias, who was sitting at his desk reading the days' issue of the prophet quickly hopped to his feet. "Ms. Weasley, to what do I owe this pleasure?" He asked, a very smooth grin curving his lips, his icy blue eyes devouring me.

"I can't talk," I spelled out with the coiling smoke.

Elias looked awfully proud. "I see that you've been practicing. Very good, _Lucy_."

Thank Merlin I couldn't speak - I would have started screaming! I knew we were getting closer to being on a first name basis!

However, as the footsteps of those who were following me grew closer the grin on his lips faded and he looked slightly disappointed that we weren't going to be alone.

"Why is it that you can't speak?" He asked, his brow furrowed with confusion.

As the other students filed into the classroom, Elias straightened up and folded his arms.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Scamander, Mr. Kavanagh, Ms. Warrington... May I help you?"

"They can't speak either." Lorcan informed him. He seemed much more comfortable talking to Elias than he did the rest of us. "They got hit with a Silencio charm.. It's been about five minutes and it still hasn't worn off." He explained.

"That's quite odd... Who cast the spell?" Elias asked. "Silencio should only last for a few seconds... Ten at the very most."

I glanced from Elias to Lorcan. Smart bloke that Scamander was.

"Er.." Lorcan looked down at his feet guiltily. "I did." He lied.

Liam, Albus and the Slyther-Cunt looked at him like he was mental which made it even more obvious that he was lying.

I just looked at him, almost in awe that he was covering up for Roxanne.

"I find that hard to believe.." Elias replied simply. "I guess it doesn't matter _who _did it, it's not like they'll be in any trouble for it."

Hearing Elias say that, I quickly wrote "Roxy" in the air.

"Lucy!" Lorcan gasped. Liam rolled his eyes at him, earning himself a second blast of gas to be sent in his general direction.

Shaking his head, Elias laughed. "And her wand strikes again. I'm going to have to have a serious chat with headmaster Sluhghorn about this. But no matter.. Mr. Scamander, Ms. Weasley didn't do anything wrong, all right? I witnessed a mishap with her wand first-hand. She's not in trouble." He stated as he patted Lorcan on the shoulder.

Lorcan shifted his eyes up to Elias and nodded before looking right back down at his feet. He looked ashamed. And I had to admit it to myself.. it was kind of adorable.

"All right..." Elias turned around to grab his wand off of his desk. "Who wants to go first?"

Gael's hand flew into the air but Albus quickly swatted at it, shaking his head before waving his arms, frantically mouthing "Me! Me! Me! Me!"

"Of course, ladies first, Mr Potter." Elias smirked, but he was obviously just giving him a hard time. Albus rolled his eyes but took no offense to being referred to as a lady.

We are a very shameless family.

With a simple flick of his wand, Albus had regained his voice.

"I CAN BREATHE! ALL IS WELL IN THE WORLD! THANK YOU, PROFESSOR!" Albus flung his arms around Elias before running out of the classroom, dragging Lorcan with him by the elbow.

Gael went next, and as soon as Elias reversed the charm I wished that he hadn't.

"Weasley has some nerve! Oi! Just wait until she comes out of that bloody bathroom!"

"I'm sure she had her fair reasons for doing it in the first place." He commented as he turned to Liam, who was mid-eye roll. "And it would probably be in your best interest not to make threats towards other students in front of one of your professors."

Was he rolling his eyes at _Gael_?

After undoing the silencing charm on him, he and the Slyther-cunt left the classroom.

Waving his wand at the door, it closed, the smooth grin curving lips once more.

"It's nice to see you today." He mused as he flicked his wand around my throat.

"And it's not nice to see me every other day?" I replied as soon as I got my voice back, a playful smile gracing my lips.

"It's lovely to see you _any _day, Lucy. But I quite enjoy surprises, and you showing up was certainly a surprise." Elias said as he lowered his wand, his body still so close to mine that I could feel heat radiating off of it. "I thought I would have to wait until Monday, during class."

"Well, you have Roxy to thank for my surprise visit, _Elias._" I replied smoothly. I honestly had no idea how I was containing myself.

"Mmm. I like the way that sounds.." He raised his brow and brushed his thumb across my cheek. "And you must send her my deepest thanks."

"I can say it again if you'd like." I placed my hand on the center of his chest and tilted my head back, smiling up at him.

"Lucy..." Elias began quietly, his hand brushing over mine.

"I know," I sighed. "No prolonged touching."

I went to move my hand away but he kept it there, lacing his fingers through mine, our eyes glued to one another.

"It won't be like this forever." He reminded me, his voice just above a whisper. And with the blink of an eye, he pulled his hand away, unknotted our finger and moved past me and to his desk.

"Since you're here, I want to talk to you about our schedule."

"What about it?" I asked. "You don't have any conflicts with it, do you?"

"No, no, nothing like that.. I just want to make sure that _this _looks good to you." He said as he tapped his wand against a piece off parchment.

I leaned over his desk and read the note he had written for me.

**First Hogsmeade weekend, you and me? I'm thinking dinner in Wales? **

"That looks absolutely perfect." I smiled.

ENCHANTED DRAGON DROPPINGS!

FIRST NAME BASIS AND A DATE?

Merlin Roxanne needs to use her twig more often! If things keep going at this rate, we'll be bloody engaged before Christmas!

Okay, maybe that's going a bit overboard.. But you know what I mean.

"Brilliant." Grinning, he tapped his wand against it again and the parchment went up in flames.

"I should probably get going." I announced. I didn't really want to go; but I _did _want to squeal, and that's just not something you do in front of the bloke you fancy, no matter how shameless you are. "See you at dinner?"

"Only from afar." He winked and smiled weakly.  
"I'll be the one with his eyes on you."

Merlin bless his mother!

I said nothing in return, but instead, walked out of his classroom beaming like the bloody sun.

"Eeep!" I squealed and flailed once the door was shut behind me.

_"Earnin' yerself some extra credit?"_

The voice made me gasp and draw my arms in so quickly that I knocked myself upside the head with my wand as I spun around to see where it had come from.

"What the lump do _you _want?" I scowled, my hand pressed against my tender forehead. "Shouldn't you be off somewhere with the Slyther-Cunt?"

"The _Slyther-Cunt_?" Liam's (very thick) eye brows furrowed together.

"The She-Devil..."

"... _The She-Devil?" _

"You know, the Antichrist.."

"_The Antichrist? _I don't follow.." He said, a stupid look on his face.

"Gael, you wanker!"

"I didn't know that I was supposed to be anywhere with _her_." Liam laughed and shrugged his shoulders as he leaned against the wall behind him. "And why am I a _wanker?_"

"The list of reasons why you _aren't _a wanker is much shorter. There aren't any." I smiled pretty then turned to leave.I had absolutely no interest in making small talk with this git.

"Ay!" He caught me by my elbow and spun me back around to face him. "What happened to _Li-Yum _and your destroyed panties?"

"Did I say _Li-Yum _earlier?" I asked, yanking my arm out of his grasp. "Because I meant to say _Li-Yuck. _And don't flatter yourself, curly. My underwear were destroyed because I shat in them."

"Ouch. Now my feelins are hurt." He pouted. "Ya know, yer cousin never mentioned how bleedin' mean you are."

"Albus has his head too far up his own arse to take note to anything. I mean, he is friends with you after all. And you're  
a twat." I nodded knowingly.

"I was talkin' 'bout Rox." Liam ignored the latter of my statement. "Speaking of... Why did she lock herself in the loo?"

"Didn't I already tell you that it was none of your bloody business?" I snapped, suddenly feeling a bit too much like Molly for my own comfort. This bloke brought out the worst in me. "Is your head so far up Warrington's arse that you can't hear anything other than her internal farts?"

"Twice, actually. And who the shit is Warrington?"

"Gael, you wanker!" I said for the second time. "And if I already told you it was none of your business, why would you think asking a third time would magically make it seem otherwise?"

"Third time's a charm?" He suggested with a shrug.

I rolled my eyes. "Not for you it isn't." I scoffed and brushed past him.

He hurried in front of me, blocking my path.

"Come on, Lucy, help me out here. What's wrong with her?" He asked and legitimately sounded concerned. Too bad for him that I didn't give a toss how he felt. "She upset over that weird kid?"

"If by _weird kid _you mean Lorcan, it's still none of your business."

"So the rumors are true then?" He pressed.

I found myself in a bit of a slump. There were loads of rumors flying around about Roxanne and as badly as I wanted to tell him to piss off, I couldn't just let him assume the worst about her. She did fancy him after all.

"You're gonna have to be more specific." I said impatiently.

"Wait.. So there are more than just a few rumors floating around about her?"

"... No, I told you to be specific because I actually want to prolong this conversation. Spit it out, or get out of my way."

"What are the other rumors?"

I brushed by him without offering an answer and he stepped backwards to block me again.

"Fine. Is she really head over her bum for that weird blond kid?" He asked almost mockingly.

"Why do you care if she is or isn't?" I folded my arms, my agitation growing.

"I don't." He replied and physically mirrored me.

"Then why are you wasting both of our time by asking?"

"Just curious." Liam shrugged.

"Right.. Well, I'll leave you to that." I said then quickly walked past him.

Much to my surprise, he didn't try to stop me.  
He did worse. He was following me.

"You didn't answer me."

"How observant of you." I said without looking at him.

"Are you _goin' _to answer me?" He asked as he caught up to me.

"Nope."

"Why not? It's just one simple question."

"That you don't really give a toss about knowing the answer to." I remarked. "Which, might I add, seems like complete bullocks since you're acting so bloody desperate. Did The She-Devil put you up to asking? Got you trained like a pathetic little lapdog?"

"No. This has nothin' to do with the She-Devil." He replied and stopped in his tracks.

I had to clench my jaw to keep from smiling. If Gael heard him calling her that she would have his balls in a jar. "Well, if you're really that curious, you'll ask Roxy yourself, won't you?"

**Roxy's P.O.V**

I had been right about my assumption of being left in the loo to starve to death, because late Saturday night when I tried to leave to sneak into the kitchen, I couldn't get the door to unlock.

Okay, so I didn't actually starve to death, but it wasn't until Sunday afternoon that I was actually able to leave; after Christy Pattinson, a seventh year beater for Slytherin blew the bathroom door off its hinges. "I GOT HORRID WHISKEY SHITS. SORRY, WEASLEY!" Apparently Albus had thrown another party and extended his silencing charms to the lavatories.

The common room wreaked of vomit, which was more than likely my fault since I had the loo locked up. However, at that point, no stench could ruin my appetite.

I had missed Sunday brunch (not that I actually intended on going to it anyways) so I hurried down to the kitchen, where I found Lucy eating cookies with a house elf sitting on her lap.

"Hey Roxy!" Lucy said happily, crumbs falling out of her mouth and landing on top of the creature's head.

"Hey Lu..." I replied quietly, avoiding eye contact as I nosed over the counters looking for something to eat. I thought about just turning around and leaving; because I still wasn't ready for the dreaded 'Are you okay? Well Liam is a twat anyways' conversation, but I hadn't had a lick of anything since Friday evening and my stomach felt like it was digesting itself.

"Guess what?" Her voice was muffled.

"Liam is a git and I could do better?" I filled in. Might as well get it over with, eh?

"Well, yeah, but that's not what I was going to say. I've got a date!" I could hear her hands clapping and I quickly spun around to look at her, my face completely screwed up.

"With Mr. Charming?!"

She nodded. "Mhmm. He asked me yesterday after your screwy Silencio charm hit me."

"It didn't hurt you did it!? I seriously didn't mean for it to hit you. I was trying to shut the Antichrist up." I explained honestly. "That's great though.. congrats." So what if my love life was complete shit? I couldn't piss on Lucy's happiness because hers wasn't.

"Oh, it shut her up too. And Albus and Li-Yuck." She grinned. "Speaking of.." She sat the house elf down then pushed herself off of the table. "He cornered me yesterday and interrogated me about you."

I definitely wasn't ready for her to say _that. _"What did he say?!" I exclaimed, unable to understate my interest.

"He was asking about _the Lorcan thing_, wanting to know if you were in love with him." She smirked proudly.

I was suddenly just as pasty as the rest of the Weasley family. "What did you tell him?"

"Calm down." She held her hands up defensively. "I told him that it was none of his business, and if he wanted to know if it's true that he should ask you himself." She smiled.

"Why does he care anyways?" I blurted out. "He didn't seem to give a toss yesterday when he saw me!"

Lucy shrugged. "I asked him the same thing. He said that he doesn't, but I don't believe it. He wouldn't have been asking if he didn't."

Was she... taking up for him?

"I'm not taking up for him." She began, almost as if she could read my mind. "I think he's a wanker, but I know how much you like him... So, I think it's worth investigating."

"Wait.. so you're not going to give me _the talk_?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"The talk? Didn't aunt Angie have that with you like two years ago?"

"Not _that _talk. I mean the whole 'you're too good for him' spiel."

"Oh.." Lucy giggled. "No, I'm not just going to be a twat and dismiss your feelings. You never like anyone. He might not have made the best first impression on me, but he obviously did _something _right to win your affection."

You know that weird feeling you get while your sleeping? The one where you are out cold, but subconsciously know that you've been sleeping much longer than you should? Yeah, that was definitely happening.

The sound of a door slamming, followed by movement around my dorm made my eyelids flutter open.

Though she was nothing more than a blur of long wavy raven hair, I could see Matilda making her way towards her desk, her arms full of books.

It took a total of three seconds for me to comprehend that I had over slept, and once I was able to wrap my head around out, I jolted upright and scurried out of bed.

"Why didn't you wake me up!?" I exclaimed as I stumbled toward my dresser.

"I'm not your keeper." Matilda scoffed. She was still mad at me for not knowing that _her _Liamwas _my _Liam. Or something to that nature. Honestly, it was a tad bit ridiculous if you ask me.

If anyone should be mad here, it should be me. After all, had the Antichrist not gotten in the way of things, she would be the one getting all of his attention.

"Ugh, you're such a bloody brat." I groaned, but I didn't wait around for her to retort. Headmaster Slughorn had made it quite clear that if I missed any of my lessons without a legitimate excuse, he wouldn't hesitate to expel me.

My hair looked like it had never been introduced to a brush before, so I pulled it back. Which didn't help much. Now it just looked like I was trying to hide the fact that I might have been half cave-woman; I didn't have time for vanity. My shirt - unknown to me - was lopsided from where I had missed a button or two. My skirt was on sideways and I had no idea where my blazer or robes were, so I went without them. I didn't have time to brush my teeth, so my breath was rancid and my mouth tasted like dried saliva.

It was a wonderful day to be Roxanne Belle Weasley.

I should probably get my middle name changed from Belle (which means beautiful in French) to Bad-breath-bushy-head.

Roxanne Bad-breath-bushy-head Weasley.

Sounds pretty bloody accurate to me.

I gathered my things and ran through the dungeons like my life depended on it.

Because.. well.. it kind of did.

Blasted short legs of mine. I felt like I was running in place.

How I ended up so sodding vertically challenged (or fun-sized, as Lucy liked to call it) was beyond me.

And then, out of no where - there was a collision, which caused my books and parchment to go soaring through the air while I toppled over on top of something.

Or _someone_, rather.

I gasped as I came to the realization that I was laying on top of _Liam_, who had his arms wrapped around me, my bushy unbrushed hair falling out of my ponytail and framing my face.

"Well good mornin' to you too." Liam smirked.

I said nothing in return. I was too busy getting lost in those beautiful eyes of his. I hadn't seen them this close up in ages.

"Is it just me or does this seem like Deja vu?" He added

I knew exactly what he was getting at with that comment. That time at Athchoir when I was trying to do a back flip on a broomstick. Which also doubled as the first time we snogged.

"It's vaguely familiar, yes." I commented feeling sufficiently awkward, but remained in place.

"_Vaguely?_Ouch." He grimaced.

"You know what I meant." I rolled my eyes. "Different circumstances. I'm not _fluthered _and I didn't fall off of a broom this time."

"Doesn't mean that you down owe me one. I might not have saved yer life this time, but my bum bone is definitely payin' the price for me breakin' your fall." Liam chuckled as he pulled himself into a sitting position. My heart broke a little, because I figured he probably wanted me to get off of him.

"Are you saying you want me to break your fall sometime then?" I asked him as I _attempted _to pull myself away from him so I could stand up. However he tightened his arms around me and secured me against his chest.

I then wondered why I hadn't slapped the piss out of him yet. I was.. upset with him! Mad, even!

"Nah. I got something else in mind entirely."

There was a certain look in his bright green eyes that made my heart rate pick up tenfold and that strange warm, pulling feeling to return and radiate from my stomach up to my chest. There was no way I could be angry with him when he was looking at me like _that. _

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

Liam didn't say anything. He just stared at me, his face inching closer and closer until his big soft lips gently brushed over mine; his fingertips brushing stray pieces of my hair away from my face. My heart was in my throat and my brain was suddenly the consistency of pancake batter. I couldn't think. We were magnetized towards one another. All I could do was react.

Without hesitation I wrapped my arms around Liam's neck and kissed him, not giving a toss if my breath smelled like the seventh layer of hell or that I was running late for Charms, or that we were sitting on the floor in the middle of the dungeons.

* * *

**A/N: Dun dun dun! Sorry about that, um.. cliffhanger. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Again, this one was fun to write. I also hope you enjoyed the alternate P.O.V. I thought it was necessary to show a bit more of Lorcan and Liam. Plus I wanted to show some Lucais (Lucy and Elias) :p Anyways - thanks for the reads and reviews. Keep leaving them! I love hearing from you! Good, bad, indifferent. Also, about Elias and Lucy, I know it's a bit inappropriate but I imagine Elias in only in his early 20s, and Lucy is kicking 17 in the bum, so it's not too... inappropriate. Plus, the story is called 'Edge of Desire' **

**Okay, I'm posting this before I start rambling. **


	8. Irreconcilable Differences

The hand that had been resting on the small of my back had somehow ended up under my shirt, clutching my side, the other wound up in my long messy hair as Liam and I continued to snog shamelessly on the floor in the middle of the dungeons.

I felt like I had been warped into another dimension. This wasn't supposed to be happening, was it? Surely not... I was crossed at him! Completely pissed, because all of forty-eight hours ago, he had blown me off for the Antichrist! I should have been throwing fists and curses at him - not _myself_.  
Okay, so I hadn't exactly _thrown _myself at him, however I had definitely initiated our kiss... But blimey, he was so bloody gorgeous.. and it wasn't like he was objecting to it!

One of my hands was lost in his curly hair, the other gripping his blue and bronze tie as I heard footsteps echoing through the corridor accompanied by familiar laughter.

I gasped as I was knocked out of the current stupor that had been consuming me and pulled away from Liam, narrowing my eyes as if the action would help me distinguish which end of the dungeons the noise was coming from.

"I'm tellin' ya mate, Rox likes ya. She's just ignorin' ya cause she's shy. She's never had a boyfriend before." Albus explained, his echoing voice growing closer.

Wow. Albus sure has taken an interest in my personal life.

I didn't hesitate at all to barrel roll off of Liam's lap and hop to my feet.

Thank Merlin that I didn't, because two seconds later, Albus and Lorcan rounded the nearest corner.

"What in the Hell?" Albus gawked between Liam, who was still on his bum, all of my stuff, which was sprawled across the floor, and myself, leaning against the wall panting for air.

Lorcan said nothing and quietly observed the scene; by looking at him it was kind of obvious that he knew what was happening before his arrival.

Thank Merlin that Albus was so unbelievably dense. He seemed quite oblivious to the fact that only seconds ago me and his new mate were in the middle of a heated snog.  
"Rox! What the shit did you do to him?" Albus exclaimed. "We all know that ya hate Warrington, but ya can't just go around pickin' a fight with every bloke who has eyes for her. Ya'd have to take on the entire male population!"

Oh, Albus just knew how to make everything better, didn't he? My head was spinning, half with new-found anger, half with shock over what had just happened. I was so baffled that I couldn't talk!

"You alright mate?" Albus asked. Liam nodded as he pushed himself off of the floor, an unsettling smirk curving his plump lips.

"M'fine. Rox just knocked the breath out of me, that's all." He explained, his eyes shifting from Albus to Lorcan and finally to me.

Albus shook his head as if he were ashamed. "You're gonna be back in Ireland before ya know it if ya keep actin' out like this. D'you have any idea what that'll do to poor Scamander over here?"

Oh Merlin, just hex me in the bloody face already!

"Anyways, you comin' Kavanagh?" Albus continued without waiting for a response from me. Which was good for him, 'cause he would have been waiting a long time.

"Yeah, I'll be right behind ya. Just gonna help ole Roxy here pick her things up first." Liam said as he removed his wand from his robes.

"See how nice he is? Really Rox, you shouldn't be so bloody hard on people because of who they like!"

What a bloody hypocrite! He gave me a piss and laughed in my face when he found out I snogged Lorcan! But it's supposed to be dandy that Liam likes the Antichrist?!

Wait, I'm getting ahead of myself here. I hadn't hit Liam with anything other than my lips, though at this point I was seriously considering chucking a shoe at his big fat head. Albus had so carelessly reminded me why I was so pissed off at him.

I waited until I could no longer hear Albus and Lorcan's footsteps before moving away from the wall to gather my things.

"I see how it is." Liam's voice broke the silence.

"'Scuse me?" I replied harshly as I put my hand on hip. I wasn't under his stupor now, so it wasn't much of a task to show my anger towards him.

"Ya didn't want your lit'l weird boyfriend to catch ya snoggin' me." He said sounding triumphant.

"_Boyfriend_?!" I laughed. Who in the Hell did he think he was? Even if Lorcan _was_ my boyfriend - Liam was fraternizing with the enemy. He had no bloody room to talk! "Right, because that had everything to do with Lorcan and nothing to do with the fact that my cousin was with him." I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, boyfriend." Liam pressed. "The entire school won't stop talking about how in love with him you are."

I scoffed and glared at him. So he wasn't even going to _ask _me? He was just going to _assume_ that the rumors were true? That infuriated me further.

"That must be why I just snogged you for the better part of ten minutes, because I'm so bloody in love with Lorcan Scamander." I snapped as I bent down and started gathering all of the loose parchment.

Liam wasn't doing anything but staring at me with his arms folded. Bloody liar. He was supposed to be helping me.

"Nah you did it for another reason."

I was rising back to full height as the words came out of his mouth, followed by a smirk that made me want to ball my fist up and sock it.

"Oh yeah? And what reason is that?" I asked bitterly as I took a generous step towards him.

"'Cause you're jealous of Gael." Liam replied simply.

I threw my head back and laughed to keep myself from throwing my fist at his face. Seriously, with comments like _that,_ he was asking for it.

I had _never _been jealous of Gael Warrington and I wasn't going to start just because the female reincarnation of Voldemort had his bloody attention.

And quite frankly, from what had just happened, it was hard to believe she had it at all.

"Oh yeah, because there is _so _much to be jealous of." I said sarcastically.

"Precisely." He smiled.

Normally _that _smile would have made _me _smile. But right now, not even a unicorn shitting rainbows and Chocolate Frogs (yeah I know that sounds disgusting, just go with it, yeah? I'm pissed. Jokes aren't my thing when I'm pissed) could have helped my mood.

"Like the fact that she's got yer place as seeker." He added.

"The only reason she even has that is because I have a bloody criminal record." I rolled my eyes. Why we were even having this conversation was beyond me. "If I could play this season, trust me, I would win _my _spot back! There is absolutely nothing to be jealous of!"

Except, maybe those disgustingly long legs of hers...

But this isn't about physicalities.

Liam almost looked disappointed but he went on regardless.

"If ya aren't jealous of Gael then there is only one logical explanation left." He began.

. . . .

"Well.. go on."

"You snogged me 'cause you're a bit of a whore."

A. Bit. Of. A. Whore?

A  
BIT  
OF  
A  
WHORE?

_Whore? _

WHORE?

I reared my hand back and slapped the side of his face so hard that the sound of our flesh meeting echoed down the corridor several times before finally fading against the silence.

What was this wanker playing at, calling me a whore?

I am a virgin for Merlin's sakes!

Despite that, if anyone was the whore here, it was him. He and Gael were publicly... touchy and flirty!

I snogged Lorcan one bloody time a year ago and I haven't even had a proper conversation with him since! I wasn't running around like I was his blasted shadow. Or so far up his bum that people thought I was some kind overgrown hemorrhoid.

"FUCK YOU, LIAM QUINLIN KAVANAGH!" I screamed, not giving two turtle shits that I had just used his full name or who might have heard me in the process. "YOU. ARE. A. PATHETIC. WANKER!" For every word I yelled, I hit him in the chest with my Charms books.

Charms! Oh no. In the midst of the last fifteen minutes of my life I had forgotten all about the fact that I was running quite late for class.

As much as I would have enjoyed hitting him again, I needed to go before I got myself expelled.  
Though, Athchoir didn't sound half bad at that point. At least _HE _wouldn't be there.

I stomped down the corridor _crying, _however I didn't even realize that I was crying until I felt warm moisture trickle down my face, and even then the conclusion was iffy.

What the hell was wrong with me?! Weasleys don't cry! It took a total of five seconds to realize why I was crying. It wasn't because I was sad (okay so I was a tiny bit sad, but that wasn't why I was crying) it was because I was so mad and there was no other way I could release my anger. Although, I was half tempted to turn back around to find Liam so I could rip the curls out of his head strand by strand.

Pathetic git!

Of course I didn't, but instead continued through the castle. It was as if I had a bloody basilisk head - people I saw in passing wouldn't make direct eye contact with me.

What was happening to me? Up until Liam came along, everything in my life was just bloody peachy.

Well, up until I burned down the forbidden forest, actually; but I am choosing to blame him for all of this because I have horrid coping abilities and blaming my misfortune on the git who referred to me as 'a bit of a whore' made me feel better.

And now? Everything was dicey and weird.

I was _Roxanne Weasley. _I used to be popular and outgoing and ... _fun. _

Now, I was a homicidal reject firebug who locked herself in the bathroom to pine over a guy. A guy who called me _A bit of a whore. _

Pathetic! Just bloody ridiculous!

I was so done with all of that.

I just wanted _my _life back. The one I had before I was chucked off to Athchoir. Before I knew Liam Kavanagh.

No more drinking binges in the bathroom, no more locking myself in the bathroom, no more pining in the bathroom, no more hiding in the bathroom, and definitely no more crying!

When I arrived to Charms it was easy to slip in without the entire class noticing me, they were all chatting amongst themselves and practicing the days' assignment; however professor McLaggen was a different story. He noticed me rather quickly, almost like he was waiting for me.

"I'm glad you could make it, Ms. Weasley." He chimed as I slid into my spot next to Lucy, who had paired up with Lily.

"I... er.. I'm sorry I -"

"Don't worry about it, Lucy explained your _situation._" Professor McLaggen said as he held his hand up, dismissing my explanation. Which was quite lovely, really. I had been having such a fit that I hadn't the chance to think of a proper excuse for my tardiness, and unfortunately I couldn't just say 'Oh you know, I was snogging a bloke in the dungeons but ended up slapping him around because he called me _a bit of a whore.' _"We're working on the Aguamenti charm. I'm sure one of your cousins won't mind catching you up." He tapped his wand against my book which caused it to open and turn to the correct page then offered it to me. "I can't have you flooding the classroom." He winked. I wasn't going to object to his offer, so I took his wand and forced a smile to show that I was grateful; which really wasn't that difficult because professor Charming was.. well... _charming _after all.

Maybe I needed to do what Lucy did, fall for one of my professors. The next in line in youth and good looks was Teddy, but he was engaged to Victoire, which more or less makes that idea incest.

Perhaps I should just stop giving a toss about the inferior gender all together. Now that's quite an idea! I think I'll just try that out. It shouldn't be too difficult. Like Matilda said, _I never like anyone. _  
Clearly I have horrid taste anyways. Liam was perfect proof of that.

Once professor McLaggen was out of earshot I looked sideways at Lucy. "My _situation_?" I asked, brow perked. What had she told him that would get him off my case so easily?

She grimaced a bit. "Explosive diarrhea. I'm sorry.. it was the only thing I could think of." Lucy said sincerely.

"Don't be." I shook my head. I didn't even care. "Thanks for covering for me." I nodded.

"Of course... Er, Roxy, your shirt is lopsided and your hair.. Wait have you been _crying_?" She gasped as she leaned in towards me and attempted to comb her fingers through my messy locks. "What happened?!"

I explained everything to Lucy - and to say that she was mad would have been an understatement. I think she may have been more pissed off about it than me. She had a few choice names for him, including _curly headed wanker, git, idiot, solo brow, Li-Yuck, dung for brains and twat_. She also kept mentioning something about aiming all of her farts at him. I'm not quite sure what that was about, but it got a much needed laugh out of me.

Liam should be afraid. After all... Lucy _was _a Weasley. We Weasleys can be a bit mental when need be.

Except for Molly. She was completely mental all the time.

Lily listened in but made no comment. I'm sure she was silently judging me, like she does everyone else; though she couldn't judge too harshly. After all, I was the one who saved her from certain humiliation when she put on the strip tease at Albus' party a few weeks back.

We took turns practicing the Aguamenti charm, which is much more difficult than you might expect given that its use is to produce a jet of water. If you flick too hard, the water will spew out in copious amounts; if you don't flick hard enough, it will drip like a leaky faucet. You have to have just the right amount of force for it to work properly. I'm glad professor McLaggen let me use his wand. There was no telling how much damage my twig could have caused.

And I would really hate to add drowning to my list of _A Thousand Ways to Accidentally Kill Lucy Weasley. _

"You aren't going to lock yourself in the loo again, are you?" Lucy asked as we left the Charms classroom once we were dismissed.

"No." I shook my head. "I'm done with all of that rubbish."

I was done with laying around feeling sorry for myself. I was done with avoiding everyone because of what they might have to say about me. So what if I got all of my friends grounded, that I burned down the Forbidden forest, or that I snogged Lorcan Scamander? I was done with giving a toss about _all _off it.

And most of all, I was _done _with Liam.

"I just want my life back."

**A few days later.**

I was sitting in Headmaster Slughorn's office sweating profusely as I waited for his arrival.

_I'm in so much bloody trouble. I'm getting expelled. I know I am. I'm going back to Athchoir. That's if I don't get sent to Azkaban. Oh Merlin, why didn't you take my wand? Take it from my hands? Cause I can't do magic on my own. I'm letting go. So give me one more chance, to save me from this hex I'm working on.. Merlin take the wand._

Tapping my foot nervously against the floor, headmasters of old watched me as if they were waiting for me to do something horrible.

Judgey old gits. The only one who wasn't giving me the stink eye was Professor Dumbledore.

The rest were glaring, noses turned up.

One of which was Newton Scamander, Lorcan's great-grandfather, who was looking at me like I had just murdered something.

Which was pretty much what I had done.

Though I hardly doubt that he knew that. He just wasn't really my biggest fan; after all, I had gotten his perfect great-grandson drunk and then expelled. Though, it wasn't really my fault he had gotten expelled. If anything I was trying to save him from it. He was the one growing - and from the rumors, selling - illegal muggle plants. Which, if you ask me, might be a smudge worse than accidental arson.  
But what do I know? I'm a bloody delinquent.

"I do hope that, whatever it is that you did, you left my great-grandson out of it this time." The portrait of Newton snapped.

It's always heartwarming to know that a dead person loathes you.

Too bad I didn't know the Aguamenti charm this time last year. I could have - at the very least, tried - to put the fire out.

Then I never would have met Liam Kavanagh and my life would be much less complicated than it is now...

_WOOSH! _The emerald flames in the fireplace rose upward, stirring me from my thoughts and a man stepped out of them.

"Uncle Percy?! What are _you_ doing here?" I blurted out. He was the last bloody person I wanted to see right now Okay, so maybe not the last; but certainly in the top three.

Uncle Percy remained emotionless as he dusted off his fancy suit. "Ministry sent me when Headmaster Slughorn alerted them about your misbehaviour." He explained then started towards the empty seat beside me. "As you know I am the one in charge of your case."

How could I forget when you rub it in my face every chance you get?

You see, what I may have failed to mention to you previously, is that uncle Sour-Perc has complete control over _when _I get my wand back. All he has to do is put in a good word at the Ministry, pull a few strings, and bang.

But no. I reckon he wants me to catch a murder charge, so then I'll never get it back.

Wait...

"He alerted the ministry?!"

Percy nodded. "Of course he did. You are on a tight leash, Roxanne. Any sort of trouble you get into gets sent straight to the ministry." He said as he sat down. "I owled your father, he should be here any minute now."

That's just bloody fantastic.

"What happened anyways? The message I received wasn't very specific. It only said that you were in the headmaster's office."

"I know my Merlin rights," I folded my arms "And I have the _right_ to remain silent."

_Anything I say can and will be used against me in a Wizengamot trial._

_I have the right to have a personal advocate present during questioning. If I can not afford an advocate one will be appointed to me by a court of the Wizengamot._

I'm not telling this git anything. For all I knew, he probably wanted me to get shipped off again, so I couldn't corrupt Lucy, or give the family a bad name. As if he didn't take care of the latter well on his own. He would twist my words around if he knew it would get rid of me.

"Roxanne, you aren't getting arrested." Uncle Percy said with narrowed eyes. "I'm not an Auror."

"Well I've been arrested before. I'm not talking about it until someone shows up who is one _my _side!" I probably shouldn't even have said that much, but sometimes, I just couldn't help myself.

I had the _right _to remain silent; sadly I lacked the ability.

"You have not been arrested!" He argued.

"So they didn't take me to Azkaban, they still read me my Merlin Rights!" I argued back. "So therefore I was arrested." Or close enough to it to know, that even though I was drunk, I never wanted it to happen again.

Uncle Percy was about to retort but the sound of the flames rising again stole his attention.

"What happened?!" My dad said urgently as he stepped out of the fireplace and rushed towards me. "Roxanne, what did you do?"

"She's using her _right _to remain silent, George." Percy said with a roll of his eyes.

"Don't twist my words! I said I wasn't going to talk about it until someone was here to witness what I say who was on my side!" I defended

"I _am _on your side! Why do you think you _weren't _arrested last year?" Uncle Percy hissed.

Damn.

"Why d'you still have my wand then? Hm?" Arguing with the man who was in charge of your fate probably wasn't the smartest idea.

But who ever said that I was smart?

"Oh Ms. Weasley, you're still carrying on about _your _wand, are you?" Headmaster Slughorn sighed as he wobbled his way across his office. "As I've told you before, you just need to give your new one a bit of time to warm to you."

Dad, uncle Percy and I all looked up, quite surprised at his arrival because none of us had even heard him come back in.

"George, it's good to see you." He smiled and gave his wand a few flicks, conjuring up a large armchair. Apparently Slughorn was a member of this anti-Voldemort club back in the day called the Order of the Phoenix, which my dad was also a member of. Or something like that, because they definitely knew each other.

"No offense, Horace, but I wouldn't mind not having to run into you like this." Dad said as he took a seat on my other side.

Headmaster Slughorn laughed as he finally dipped into his own chair. "I can understand that completely." He nodded.

"I'm sorry." Uncle Percy said impatiently. "But could someone please tell me what is going on?"

Ugh. He's a bigger gossip than Molly.

Damn, again. I was just as much of a gossip.

But I was also a likable person.

"Well, I'm afraid I don't know the answer to that myself. I received a letter from Professor Hagrid last night-"

"This, whatever it is, happened last night?!" Uncle Percy interrupted and sounded quite outraged. "Why wasn't the ministry notified until this morning?"

"Actually, I believe it happened yesterday afternoon." Headmaster Slughorn clarified. "I didn't see the letter until last night. I saw no point in calling you both down here at such a late hour, plus Ms. Weasley was serving her detention. I didn't want to add more hours for her to make up." He explained.  
"She's already missed detention?!" Percy snapped. "Why wasn't _I _informed? I am in charge of her case! Knowing about her behavior is crucial, sir! What was her excuse for missing it?"

"I cancelled it." Slughorn replied Simply. "Because of the storms over the weekend.."

"Oh." Percy shifted his eyes then cleared his throat.

Git. Git. GIT!

"Professor Hagrid left a letter for me asking that Ms. Weasley be withdrawn from his fourth period Care of Magical Creatures class. He didn't give a reason as to why.. Nothing specif, I mean. All he said was.." Slughorn held the piece of parchment close to his face and squinted as he read it. "That there were _Irreconcilable Differences._"

I was now wide-eyed. Hagrid hadn't ratted me out? Brilliant! I was _sure _that he had; that I'd be on the next train to Ireland, or even Azkaban.

Soon enough I realized that Dad, uncle Percy, and Headmaster Slughorn were looking at me for an explanation.

Right to remain silent. I'm using it.

"Well?" Uncle Percy snapped, the vein on his forehead bulging out. The anticipation was obviously getting to him.

"Ms. Weasley, if you aren't going to explain then I will have no choice but to call for professor Hagrid." Said Slughorn.

Hagrid had been quite upset... Maybe I should just come out with it already... If they hear the story from him, it would probably sound a lot worse than it actually was.

"Roxanne." Dad said sternly. Ugh, I really didn't like it when he sounded like _that. _Out of all of the Weasley men, my dad was the most laid-back. Him sounding all serious was just plain weird. It went against nature.

"Fine." I sighed and shifted uncomfortably. "So, yesterday afternoon..."

***  
Lucy and I were standing at the outskirts of the Forbidden fie- er, forest, chatting amongst ourselves as professor Hagrid began giving a lecture on whatever ridiculous magical creature he had put on display for us that day.

"So I've got a confession to make." Lucy began as she swatted her hand around her face, shewing away some insect that seemed to be quite attracted to her perfume.

"You shagged Elias?" I laughed. It was fun to give her a dose of her own medicine from time to time.

"Yes."

My mouth fell open. I wasn't expecting that answer. "What?!" I said loudly, catching the attention of a few of our classmates. Two Ravenclaws and a Hufflepuff glared and shushed me before turning back towards Hagrid.

Since Care of Magical Creatures was an elective after fifth year, all of the students who took it actually gave a toss about it. Except for me. I was only taking it because I was pretty much dependent on Lucy - who loved all animals, no matter how bizarre - to keep me sane.

"When?!" I whispered, my eyes bulging.

"I've shagged him at least a thousand times in my head.. Once on the way down here." Lucy snorted.

"Lucy!" I laughed as I knocked into her. "That's not funny."

"Yes it is." She grinned. Okay so maybe it was funny. "But in all seriousness... You were right. Lorcan did get hot." She whispered, nodding.

"That's a bit random." I furrowed my brow. "Where's this coming from?"

"I noticed a few days ago." She shrugged. "I guess I forgot to mention it..Did you notice that he got his snaggle tooth fixed too?"

"Did he?" I had been wondering about that. I just hadn't the chance to see that ridiculous smile of his.

I call it a ridiculous smile for two reasons; one, it's goofy, two, it looks like it belongs to the bloody Cheshire cat from that muggle film Alice in Wonderland.

Like he has a half moon in his mouth.

It's just.. ridiculous.

"Yeah. He's quite a looker now."

I never thought in a million years that I would hear Lucy say any of this. Then again, I never thought I would say any of it either.

"He also stuck his neck out for you." She added a few seconds later. I looked a bit confused, so she instantly started explaining herself. "You know, when you Silencio'd everyone... He told Elias that he did it to keep you out of trouble. Hey, don't make that face! I think it's quite sweet."

"You would." Of course _she _would think it's sweet. She cuddles house elves for Merlin's sake.

Anyone would probably think that it was a rather kind gesture though; I, on the other hand thought it was bloody creepy.

Who in their right mind risks getting in trouble to protect someone else?

Dammit!

I do. Or did... And I didn't _risk _getting in trouble - I **did** get in trouble.

Since I'd like to believe I had a pretty sound mind, I really didn't have much of an argument.

It isn't like we weren't friends... I suppose I was still quite weirded out over the rubbish that Lysander had told me. Okay so _supposing _that is an understatement. I _knew _I was still uncomfortable with it. Not to mention the fact that we snogged.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lucy asked. "I mean.. You do realize that I don't even like Lorcan, right? He's strange... and he always smells like he bathed in peppermint." She scrunched her distastefully. "But I can look over all of his weirdness and see that he's a nice bloke."

I sighed and went to speak but was stopped -

"Do you smell that?" Lucy asked, sniffing the air as she glanced around us.

Now that she mentioned it... "It smells like something is burning," I commented.

I could see smoke rising from the ground in the distance and what looked like an oddly shaped and over sized crab-scorpion rushing towards us.

"What the-"

Sparks shot out from the back side of the creature, causing it spring forward even faster. As it got closer I could see it better. It was seven feet of bloody disgusting! It was gray and slimy with several legs that poked out at random angles and had an overpowering stench that smelled like rotten fish.

"AHH!" Lucy Shrieked as she stood there frozen in place, gawking at it.

"Don't make any sudden movements!" Hagrid shouted. Bad idea on his part - because as soon as he said that, the entire class ran for the hills; and I mean that quite literally.

Well, everyone except for Lucy, who was still standing there staring at it, screaming at the top of her lungs.

You see, apparently us humans have this weird defense mechanism when we're faced with danger. It's called fight, flight, or freeze.

The rest of the class had gone with the second option, and were running for their lives.

Lucy was doing the latter, freezing, while I was tugging on her arm, pleading for her to move.

But it was like she was being hypnotized and had fallen into some strange trance.

"LUCY!" I cried, "PLEASE, WE NEED TO GO!"

"Roxanne, you're going to frighten it!" Hagrid said worriedly from somewhere behind me.

"I'M GOING TO FRIGHTEN _IT_?!" I snapped as I glanced over my shoulder at him. "YOU DON'T THINK IT'S SCARING _ME_ RIGHT NOW?!"

"Yes! You need to stay calm. Its stingers are lethal!"

Because telling me _that _will keep me bloody calm!

When I looked back down at the ground the - what even is that thing - was less than a foot away, one of it's long, slimy, crab looking claws outstretched towards Lucy's leg.

"REDUCTO!" I bellowed without even thinking about what might happen.

The ground beneath it shot up and clumps of dirt and grass flew through the air, sending the creature soaring backwards.

What sounded like one of dad's enchanted fireworks whistling expelled from the creature and within a matter of seconds it was being propelled towards us again even faster than the first time, sparks shooting from behind it in the process.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL?!" I roared, not even caring that I had just sweared in front of one of my professors.

"Roxanne, just calm down, don't-"

"REDUCTO!" I cried again; and once more the crab-scorpion-whatever-the-hell, flew through the air, even more clumps of earth soaring along with it.

I had cast the spell with so much force that my body was slung backwards and I landed against the ground with a very hard thud.

"NOOOO!" Hagrid cried; I looked up just in time to see the creature's long, slimy body splatter against a tree.

"SPOT! YOU KILLED SPOT!"

Spot? Wait - was that one of his _pets_?

"Roxanne, I can't-" Hagrid shook his head, huge tears spilling from his eyes. "Ye can't be in me class anymore! This just isn't workin' out! Ye destroyed the forest and new ye killed me Skrewt!"

***  
"After that, Hagrid told me to leave." I finished. Of course I left out certain details, like me cussing up a storm, and Lucy telling me that she had shagged Elias.

Headmaster Slughorn was looking at me like he was in deep thought, while dad had his hand over his mouth; I reckon he was trying to hide an amused smile, and uncle Percy was giving me the same distasteful look that Newton Scamander had given me when I first arrived.

"Are you sure he said _Skrewt_?" Slughorn finally said after several long seconds of silence. "As in _Blast-Ended Skrewts_?"

I nodded, "He never said _Blast-Ended, _but he definitely said Skrewt."

There was no way I could get that word confused with anything else - and now that Slughorn had said that, the name made perfect sense.

"I see... May I ask you, Ms. Weasley, why you chose to Reducto it?"

"I..." _don't know? _"It was the first thing I could think to do.. I was trying to get it away from Lucy. Hagrid said they were lethal.. it was about to bite her, or.. whatever they do." I explained.

"Oh, they are very lethal, and illegal." Slughorn said.

"Hagrid has illegal animals?!" Percy gasped. "The ministry needs to be notified about this! Someone could have been hurt!"

Someone? Try your bloody daughter, you git!

"Percy," dad began with a roll of his eyes. "Don't be a bloody git. You don't have to run to the ministry every time you hear about something they don't approve of."

Honestly, sometimes I wondered how _he _- as in uncle Sour-Perc - was even related to us.

For whatever reason, what dad said shut uncle Percy up and he even started to look a little guilty...

Strange.

"Well, it seems to me that you weren't acting maliciously, rather in self defense, so you won't be punished for your actions." Slughorn said, ignoring the banter between my dad and uncle.

YES!

"However, I am going to withdraw you from Care of Magical Creatures. I believe you and professor Hagrid see enough of each other while you're serving your detention."

BRILLIANT!

I went from thinking I was going to imprisoned to gaining another free period! I should kill things more often.

Kidding.

But seriously, this is excellent!

"So you're going to have to pick up another class."

This is shit!

The smile that had curved my lips fell and was replaced with obvious disappointment.

The only thing I could think of at the point was how much bloody work I was going to have to do to catch up on a month and a half's worth of lessons.

No! No! No! I don't need more bloody school work! Can't you see that I'm trying to turn my life around here?!

I'd just decided to stop locking myself in bathrooms!

I was going to start being social again! You can't do this to me!

I have parties to go to!

"Ms. Weasley?" Slughorn said, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Something the matter?"

"Sir, I-I don't know how I could possibly make up all of that work on top of doing my detention and.." my voice trailed off, I needed a better excuse than that. Aha! ".. and studying." I nodded.

Brilliant! You are a Slytherin!

Professor Slughorn smiled, "I'm glad to see you've got your priorities sorted, but it's quite late in the term, the few classes that you aren't taking and are eligible for are closed. You would have to take an elective, and the only one left that meets your schedule is art."

ART - what?

"Art?" I furrowed my brow. "Sir, I can't draw." Unless stick figures count. And even those were hideous.

Headmaster Slughorn laughed and folded his hands on top of his desk. "Art is a matter of opinion, Ms. Weasley, and it is quite therapeutic. I honestly thing this will be a good thing for you."

Is he saying that I need therapy?

He might be right...

"So that's it?" Uncle Percy said out of nowhere, sounding very annoyed. "I was called here so you could discuss switching her to another class?"

"Well, Percy, I do believe it was your decision to be involved in Roxanne's academics, but yes, that's it. I'll write something up and owl it to the ministry as soon as I can so they'll know exactly what happened. You're free to go, if you wish." Slughorn explained calmly and then turned his attention to my dad as Uncle Percy stood up and marched towards the fireplace, excusing himself without another word. "The same goes for you, George. I know you're probably busy with your shop."

Dad glanced over at me and nodded. "Yeah, I reckon I better get back to that." He said, looking back at Slughorn as he stood up.

"Roxy." Dad said, gesturing for me to stand. I pushed myself out of my chair and looked up at him and he wrapped his arms around me, hugging me. "Behave yourself, please. I don't like seeing Sour-Perc more than I have to." He said the last part quietly, so that only I could hear him.

Oh how I love my father.

"That makes two of us." I laughed and let go of him. "I'll be as good as being your offspring allows me." I smiled.

Dad and Slughorn both laughed and dad turned away and walked back towards the fireplace and floo'd himself back to his shop.

"Well Ms. Weasley, since we've got everything sorted here, you're free to go as well. I'll inform professor Wildsmith that you'll be joining her class, so instead of going to Care of Magical Creatures tomorrow, you can go straight there." Slughorn said, and with that, I was excused.

**The Next Day. **

I was on my way to art when I realized that I had no bloody idea where the art classroom was located.

You see, over my five years of being a student at Hogwarts, (I say five years because last year I was technically only a Hogwarts student for a little over a month), I had learned just about every secret passageway that existed, figured out where the best deserted classrooms were at for social gatherings, taught myself, through trial and error, which corridors were patrolled at night by which professor so that I could sneak around without getting caught - but never once did I seek the art room out.

But why would I? I never had any intentions of taking it. Honestly, I thought it was a load of rubbish. Some made up class that Hogwarts supposedly offered that no one ever took.

After fifteen minutes of lurking the corridors with no luck whatsoever, I started to get a bit worried, because if I didn't find it soon, I was going to be late.

And as you already know, if I'm late to class without an excuse, it's all aboard the Nope train to Fuckthatville.

In other words - I would be boarding the express and going right back to Athchoir, because I wouldn't have Lucy to tell Professor Arts-N-Crafts that I was busy making the toilet bowls explode in the dungeons.

"Ms. Weasley?" I heard a voice call out from behind me.

I turned around to see professor McLaggen looking down at me like he had just caught me doing something horrific.

"Shouldn't you be in class?" He asked.

"Yeah.. I'm on my way. I can't find the classroom." I admitted.

He didn't look like he believed me, but laughed despite of that. "Six years here and you still don't know your way around?"

"Five years, sir. And I do know my way around, I just... I got kicked out of Care of Magical Creatures and professor Slughorn switched me to art, and I have no idea where the class is." I explained.

"Kicked out of Care of Magical Creatures?" He looked absolutely baffled by this. "Did you kill something?" He laughed. I'm pretty sure he was joking.

"Actually.." I nodded. "Yeah. A Blast-Ended Skrewt, or something like that. It was an accident, the stupid thing was trying to eat Lucy."

Well, it wasn't trying to eat her, but it was trying to bite her!

A look of worry washed over his flawless features, and I knew by that alone that Lucy hadn't had a chance to tell him about the incident just yet. "Is she alright?" He asked. I could tell he was trying to keep himself in check and not sound as worried as he actually was.

"She's fine. It didn't get her, thank Merlin. It came close though."

"Poor Lucy." He sighed and put his hand over his heart. He looked quite relieved. "Anyways, the Art classroom is down this corridor, last room on the right." He explained, smiling again.

"Thank you, professor." I smiled back at him then followed his directions down the corridor.

There was a sign on the door that literally said **Art Classroom, **and I felt pretty bloody pathetic that I couldn't find it on my own.

Then again, I hadn't had a chance to get any further down the hall since professor Charming had stopped me.

I pushed the door open and much to my dismay, class had already started.

There was a lady standing in the front of the room wearing a long robe that I'm assuming used to be white at one point, but was covered in many different colors that all faded together; I believe it was something that the muggles called tie-dye, but don't quote me on that.

She looked over at me and smiled. "You must be Roxanne Weasley! I'm professor Wildsmith! Welcome, welcome! It's nice of you to join us! Have a seat, we were just getting started." She said kindly, smiling like I hadn't just interrupted her.

Enchanted dung, she was nice! She wasn't even going to interrogate me as to why I was late? Brilliant.

I smiled back at her and turned to face the class to see that everyone and I bloody mean _everyone, _was staring at me.

Want to know who the first person I saw was?

Sure you do.

Liam Quinlin bloody Kavanagh sitting elbow to elbow with the bloody Antichrist herself, Gael Warrington.

Gael shot me a smirk but didn't pay much attention to me after that, while Liam gawked at me like I'd sprouted a second head since the last time he saw me. Which happened to be after I slapped him for calling me _a bit of a whore. _

I rolled my eyes as I looked away from him and quickly headed towards the back of the room.

Second person I noticed?

Lorcan Scamander sitting elbow to elbow with Oliviana Are-You-Married-Davies; not that I cared much about them being paired up. I was just a bit embarrassed with myself for obvious reasons.

Liv waved at me, while Lorcan avoided eye contact, just like he had every other time that I saw him. He was probably just as embarrassed as I was.

As I scanned the tables for an empty seat I noticed rather quickly that this was a mixed class - and I don't mean mixed by houses. I mean by year. I'm pretty sure I saw someone as young as twelve.

Which made me feel a bit more ridiculous when I sat down at the empty table in the very back of the room.

Everyone had at least one person sitting with them, whereas I was sitting all alone.

Reject Roxy at her finest.

I might as well start chewing on my hair and talking to myself so I can make it official that I'm the world's biggest reject.

Naturally, when you are stuck in a classroom full of people you don't know or can't stand, the instructor decides that everyone should partner up; and of course, they always notice the one person who is sitting in the back of the room by their self and proceed to call attention to it.

"Awe, Ms. Weasley, you need a partner don't you? Hmm." Professor Wildsmith mused, scanning the rows of tables, idly looking for the poor, unfortunate soul who would have to be ripped away from their real friend to work with me.

Meanwhile, everyone in the room had turned to look at me.

Awkward.

"Does anyone volunteer to be Ms. Weasley's partner?" She asked.

More awkward.

The room was so quiet that you could have heard a bloody quill hit the floor.

Wow, Liv, _really_? I know I can't stand you most of the time because you're so bloody stupid, but you are supposed to be my friend.

Don't judge me. I know you have a stupid friend too.

A single hand raised into the air from the front of the room.

"Ah! Mr. Scamander. Wonderful!" She clapped her hands together. "Ms. Davies, you can work with Mr. Creevey and Ms. Preece, so that Mr. Scamander can work with Ms. Weasley."

Cole Creevey was a fifth year Hufflepuff who had snow white hair and walked around snapping pictures of everyone and everything. Uncle Harry knew his uncle Colin when he was in school; apparently he had the same obsession with cameras.

He wasn't really a friend of the family per say, but Lucy was quite fond of him.

I have no idea who this Ms. Preece is. But I do know that Liv didn't look too thrilled about having to work with them.

Not that I looked thrilled to be working with Lorcan.  
I shifted my eyes from him to my desk as he made his way to my table.  
I could feel a pair of eyes on me, and when I looked up again I saw Liam quickly turning back around the face the front of the room.

Git.

Professor Wildsmith then went on to explain our lesson for the day, which was to mold the other person's face out of clay.

Awesome! Now I _have _to look at Lorcan!

Once she was finished, she gave each of us a huge slab of clay as well as a case of utensils and then told us that it was perfectly fine and necessary, even, to chat amongst ourselves while we worked.

This class just keeps getting better and better.

"Hey..." Lorcan said after several minutes of silence (Not silence in the room, just awkward silence between the two of us). From the corner of my eye I could see him glancing from the clay in front of him, to me, and back again.

"Hi." I replied without looking at him.

"Er, long time no talk." He offered with an awkward laugh. I could tell that he was trying to start a conversation. Well, obviously, because he had started talking... But I think he was ready to put all awkwardness aside and actually _talk_ to me.

If that makes any bloody sense.

"Yeah.." I nodded, glancing over at him. He was sitting there looking at me, his half-moon, snaggle-tooth-free smile nervously exposed.

"How have you been?" He asked, hopefully.

"Uh, okay, I guess." I shrugged.

If you count being called a bit of a whore, a psycho murder, and a pyromaniac as as okay.

"Just.. been going to class and serving detention." I added.

"Me too." He laughed. "Well, obviously you already knew that, since we've had detention together all this time."

I got a mental image of our last detention together and found myself unable to produce words.

Merlin take my hormones. I still couldn't get over how he looked without a shirt.

"Um, I'm really sorry about Lysander." He blurted out. "I mean, him pretending to be me that day in Hogsmeade.. I still don't know what he told you, but I'm sure it was something horrible... Well I know that he told you that I told him that you kissed me.. which isn't horrible.. I liked it a lot.. and I-" Lorcan stopped his babbling abruptly; which was surprising. Word vomit was his specialty.

I was looking at him with wide eyes - again, I couldn't produce words. What do you even say to all of that?

"I just miss being your friend." He sighed. "I never meant for what happened to weird you out or anything."

Aw. Lucy was right. Lorcan is such a nice guy. And despite how bloody weird it made me feel that I had snogged him and that there were rumors flying around that I was in love with him, and that Albus was desperately trying so hard to match us up that I was afraid to drink anything he offered me out of fear that it might be laced with love potion, Lorcan _was _my friend.

Could I really let all of the awkwardness continue to come between that?

"What even happened that night?" I asked, as soon as I regained the ability to speak.

Good job, Rox. To hell with his feelings. Just jump right in and hound him for answers.

"The night you sno- I mean, the night _we_ snogged?" He asked, a sheepish smile curving his lips. "I _knew _you wouldn't remember." He looked kind of sad when he said that, but went on anyways. "That's all." He shrugged.

"No - I mean.." Of course I wanted to know how that happened too, but I was for more concerned with the less awkward and embarrassing parts of that evening. "What happened to _you. _Why did you get expelled? We destroyed all of your plants, didn't we?"

"Oh. _That._" He laughed, and his cheeks turned a bit pink. "Not all of them, no. I tried telling them that I started the fire, but they didn't believe me, since the spell had come from your wand. I didn't think it was fair for you to get into trouble for something that was _my _fault, so I fessed up about growing the plants.. They still didn't believe me." He shook his head. "So I showed the one that I had saved from the flames to professor Longbottom. You see, I had planned to try and keep growing them.. but he destroyed it. Anyways, since they were illegal muggle plants but not illegal for wizards the ministry didn't really know what to do with me for growing them.. I told them that it was only fair that I got the same punishment as you, so they expelled me." He explained.

"But you weren't at Athchoir..." I replied, confused.

"Oh, they sent me to this place in Greece. I quite enjoyed it, actually. I got to work with a lot of plants I'd never even heard of before. Most of them were muggle plants. I did a lot of field work as a part of my punishment, too." Lorcan smiled, sounding as if he had been gone on holiday instead of to some kind of correctional school.

So that explains where his tan came from.

And his new physique.

Dear Merlin, help me. I'm getting another mental image.

"So you didn't get expelled for selling drugs then?" I asked, trying to take my mind off of thoughts of him half naked.

"No! That's the most ridiculous rumor since the one in our first year when people said that Lysander and I were the same person!" He laughed, and so did I.

"That one was at least entertaining." I chuckled, recalling it.

People would say that there was only one of them and that his name was Lorsander Scammer, and that he was trying to corrupt Gryffindor and Ravenclaw as posing as a student for each of the houses.  
It really was ridiculous.

No wonder he got teased all the time.

Lysander escaped all of the teasing once he became a beater for Gryffindor and sprouted abs.

Arrogant git, that Lysander is. If they didn't look so much a like, you really wouldn't believe that they're related.

"I'm really sorry, for acting so weird." I shook my head. "It's just, the things your brother said were.."

"Don't be sorry." Lorcan interjected. "I wasn't ever going to mention it to you. I didn't think that you would even remember it. So I'm sorry that he told you."

Hearing him say that made me feel bad, guilty, even, and I have no idea why.

"So we're friends again?" He asked, smiling hopefully.

"Of course." I grinned.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, so firstly, I want to apologize for the wait for this chapter! I have no excuse but laziness on my part for not finishing it. Also, to the person who kept reviewing my story under the guest name 'ok' THANK YOU! You are the one who inspired me to finally finish it, so I hope you enjoy it. Of course I hope everyone else enjoyed it as well. You probably noticed how long it was compared to my other chapters (almost 9k words!) I figured you guys deserved what was going to be two chapters, in one, since you had to wait. Anyways~ Please leave a review. Good, bad, indifferent, you know the drill. I really do love hearing what you think! Also, I was thinking about doing a massive picture collage for all of the main characters, just to show you guys what I imagine everyone looks like. What do you think of that? Of course you can still use your imaginations, but it was an idea I've had for a bit, so I think I'll include one in the next chapter, that, hopefully, will get put up a lot faster than this one. Okay I've written a lot in this note, so I'll stop now. Thanks again for reading! **


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